By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
Tension gripped Kabba on Friday as scores of youths and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stormed the palace of the Obaro of Kabba, disrupting an alleged meeting convened to endorse a candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District ticket.
Eyewitnesses said the protesters mobilised to the palace after reports emerged that traditional rulers had assembled, allegedly at the instance of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, to endorse an aspirant who, according to the protesters, did not participate in the APC primary election.
Videos and eyewitness accounts from the scene showed the demonstrators chanting slogans and blocking access to the palace to prevent the meeting from proceeding.
Security personnel were subsequently deployed to the area to restore calm and maintain order.
The protesters argued that any endorsement outside the process recognised by the APC constitution would undermine internal party democracy, disenfranchise members who participated in the party’s primary election, and deepen divisions within the party.
Some of the aggrieved constituents alleged that the meeting was organised to secure royal backing for another aspirant despite the individual’s alleged absence from the APC primary.
They maintained that the mandate of party members should be respected and urged traditional institutions to remain neutral in partisan political contests.
As of the time of filing this report, no official endorsement had been announced from the palace, while the Obaro’s Palace had yet to issue a statement on the development.
The Kogi West Senatorial District remains one of the most keenly contested political positions in the state, with several aspirants seeking the APC ticket ahead of the next election cycle.
The district comprises Lokoja, Kogi/Koton Karfe, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro local government areas.
Governor Ododo’s office had not commented on the allegations linking him to the planned endorsement, while efforts to obtain clarification from the APC Kogi State Secretariat were unsuccessful as of press time.
Some party members at the protest said they were not opposed to traditional rulers offering advice but insisted that royal institutions should not be used to legitimise outcomes that bypass the party’s internal democratic processes.
Others called for dialogue among stakeholders to prevent a wider crisis within the APC in Kogi West.
Although normalcy was restored following the intervention of security personnel, the atmosphere around the palace remained tense.
Party leaders in the district are expected to meet to address the grievances and clarify the status of the Senate ticket.
Official reactions from the Obaro’s Palace, the Kogi State Government and the APC are still being awaited.
