By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
A political pressure group in Kogi West has described the recent agitation surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket by Sam Aro as “a political daydream,” insisting that no political party would hand over its ticket to an individual who allegedly did not fully participate in the primary election process.
The group, under the banner of Concerned APC Stakeholders of Kogi West, stated that the APC senatorial primary had already produced a winner in the person of Sunday Karimi through what it described as a legitimate and recognized process, warning against attempts to create confusion within the party.
Speaking with journalists in Lokoja on Monday, the coordinator of the group, David Idowu Samuel, alleged that Sam Aro was relying on what he described as a “forged result sheet” which, according to him, had already been rejected by the party leadership.
Samuel further recalled that on May 18, Sam Aro had publicly announced his withdrawal from the Kogi West APC senatorial race, citing respect for party supremacy and unity within the APC.
According to him, it was contradictory for Aro to now lay claim to the senatorial ticket after allegedly stepping down from the contest before the conclusion of the process.
“It is shocking that someone who publicly declared withdrawal from the race in the interest of party supremacy is now turning around to rely on a result the party has allegedly rejected,” Samuel said.
Samuel maintained that Karimi remained the validly recognized winner of the Kogi West APC senatorial primary election, adding that attempts to overturn the outcome through what he termed “fake documents and propaganda” would not stand.
According to him, “Politics is not built on wishes and social media propaganda. How can somebody who allegedly did not partake fully in the process expect the APC to hand him the ticket for such a sensitive election? That can only happen in dreams.”
Samuel further claimed that party stakeholders and delegates across Kogi West were already aware of the authentic result of the primary and would resist any alleged attempt to distort the process.
He urged party members to remain calm and support the decision of the party leadership, insisting that the APC must protect its internal democratic process from manipulation and misinformation.
The group also called on supporters of all aspirants to avoid inflammatory statements capable of overheating the polity, adding that the focus should now be on strengthening the party ahead of future elections.
Efforts to reach associates of Sam Aro for comments on the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
