The battle over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Kogi West has moved to the courtroom, with Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro filing an originating summons at the Federal High Court, Lokoja Division, against the APC, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Aro is asking the court to determine whether the APC properly followed its constitution, electoral guidelines, and the Electoral Act in nominating its candidate for the 2027 Kogi West senatorial election. He is also challenging the validity of the party’s submission of Karimi’s name to INEC.
According to the summons, Aro argues that the Kogi West APC primary held on 18 May 2026 produced him as the winner, and that the party’s later submission of a different candidate’s name to INEC on 11 July 2026 should be declared null and void. He contends that because he never withdrew his candidacy, the APC remains bound to recognise him as its lawful candidate.
Among the reliefs sought, Aro wants the court to direct INEC to accept and recognise him — rather than Karimi — as the party’s candidate for Kogi West in the 2027 general election.
Karimi was declared winner of the 18 May primary after polling 51,665 votes, according to returning officer Isah Haruna. Reports at the time indicated Aro had withdrawn from the race before the exercise, and the primary was widely reported to have proceeded on the open endorsement of Karimi as the APC’s consensus candidate in Kogi West, backed by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Amid allegations that the authentic results of the primary had been falsified, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) — acting on findings from the party’s Election Appeal Committee, which reviewed over 700 petitions and made changes across nine states — affirmed Karimi as the duly returned candidate and forwarded his name to INEC’s candidate nomination portal.
Aro’s decision to contest both the primary outcome and the NWC’s ruling has drawn criticism from some APC stakeholders and political observers in Kogi West, with some describing the suit as “desperation taken too far.” Critics acknowledge Aro’s constitutional right to seek judicial redress but argue that the timing risks reopening divisions the party had considered settled.
One APC chieftain, speaking anonymously, said the litigation reinforces concerns that certain political actors are more focused on prolonging internal disputes than on party unity ahead of 2027. Others contend that continued contestation of the ticket could distract the APC from election preparations.
The case keeps the Kogi West senatorial ticket unresolved for now, with the court’s eventual ruling expected to shape the party’s internal dynamics heading into the 2027 general election.
Political observers say they will be watching closely as the Federal High Court begins considering the issues raised by Aro and the responses filed by the APC, Karimi, and INEC.
