By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
The Kogi West Elders Assembly (KWEA) has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District to put aside internal disagreements and unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement jointly signed by Air Commodore Hafiz Kpareke (Rtd), Dr. Bartholomew Mepaiyeda and Engr. Adetunji Obaro, the group expressed concern over a meeting held in Lokoja on Saturday under the banner of the “Kogi West APC Leaders Forum,” describing it as unrepresentative of the district’s political leadership.
According to the assembly, the gathering, reportedly convened by Kogi State Security Adviser Jerry Omodara, was attended mainly by government appointees and a few party stakeholders.
The elders argued that several prominent APC leaders from Kogi West were neither consulted nor present at the meeting, making it difficult to regard it as an inclusive gathering.
The KWEA also faulted claims allegedly made at the meeting regarding the outcome of the APC senatorial primary election conducted on May 18, 2026.
The assembly maintained that Senator Sunday Steve Karimi emerged as the duly elected APC candidate after securing more than 50,000 votes and insisted that the party’s national leadership had affirmed the outcome.
The elders further stated that former Senator Smart Adeyemi and former House of Representatives member Samuel Aro had withdrawn from the primary before the exercise, adding that subsequent claims challenging the process were inconsistent with earlier positions taken before the election.
The statement noted that key APC figures from Kogi West, including former Senator Smart Adeyemi, APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko, House of Representatives member Arc. Idris Salman, National Population Commission Commissioner Yori Afolabi, and Lower Niger Basin Development Authority Managing Director Olusola George Olumoroti, did not participate in the Lokoja meeting.
The assembly recalled that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had previously convened a peace meeting before the APC primaries, during which aspirants and party leaders were urged to close ranks and work together for the success of the party. It questioned the renewed disagreements despite that reconciliation effort.
Reaffirming its support for Senator Karimi, the KWEA described him as a seasoned politician with a record of electoral victories and cited his legislative representation, educational support programmes, constituency projects and contributions to infrastructure development as reasons for its endorsement.
The elders particularly referenced Karimi’s student bursary scheme, interventions in education, healthcare and security, as well as his role in facilitating road rehabilitation projects linking Kogi West with neighbouring Kwara and Ekiti states.
Calling for party cohesion, the assembly urged APC members and stakeholders across Kogi West to avoid divisive politics and focus on mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The statement was signed on behalf of the Kogi West Elders Assembly by Air Commodore Hafiz Kpareke (Rtd) for Lokoja/Kotonkarfe Federal Constituency, Dr. Bartholomew Mepaiyeda for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, and Engr. Adetunji Obaro for Yagba Federal Constituency.
