Senator Sunday Steve Karimi has convened a reconciliation meeting with local government chairmen and party stakeholders across Kogi West, in a move seen as an effort to unify the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the district following the party’s senatorial primary.
The gathering, held at Reverton Hotel in Lokoja, brought together the seven local government council chairmen of Kogi West, the APC Zonal Chairman, party executives, youth representatives, women leaders and other stakeholders. It comes amid ongoing speculation about internal divisions within the party’s Kogi West chapter.
Addressing attendees, Senator Karimi emphasized that reconciliation was central to preserving the APC’s dominance in the district, telling the gathering that party leadership and council chairmen had agreed to work together to bring members across Kogi West onto common ground. He argued that electoral success would depend on cooperation rather than internal division.
The senator also urged supporters — particularly social media influencers aligned with the party — to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could reopen old wounds within the APC, acknowledging that political contests are increasingly shaped by online discourse as much as by traditional campaigning.
Hon. Buhari Lakwaja, the APC Youth Leader in Kogi State, spoke on behalf of the party’s youth wing, pledging strong youth mobilization for the coming elections. He credited the senator’s constituency projects and empowerment programs with easing the work of party campaigners on the ground, and called on APC members to unite behind the party’s electoral goals.
Political commentator Adedayo Kola described the reconciliation effort as a positive development for the party’s prospects, characterizing it as beneficial for the APC’s chances heading into the elections.
Beyond intra-party matters, Senator Karimi used the occasion to voice support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, citing confidence in ongoing federal reforms. He also endorsed the proposed creation of a state police framework, framing it as a step that could strengthen Nigeria’s overall security architecture.
Organizers indicated the reconciliation drive would continue, with similar engagements planned for other parts of the senatorial district, including Kabba and surrounding local government areas.
Whether the meeting translates into lasting party cohesion remains to be seen, but for now it appears to have eased concerns about fragmentation within the APC in Kogi West ahead of the next election cycle. Analysts note that internal disunity has historically undermined political parties as much as external opposition, making sustained reconciliation efforts — rather than one-off gatherings — the more meaningful test of the strategy’s success.
