Ward, Local Government, Zonal and State Executive members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District have petitioned the party’s National Chairman, rejecting what they described as the alleged illegal substitution of the winner of the party’s senatorial primary, Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro, with Senator Sunday Karimi.
In a petition dated July 6, 2026, and addressed to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, the party officials urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to reverse the alleged substitution, insisting that Aro remained the legitimate winner of the Kogi West APC Senate primary election.
The petition, signed on behalf of the executives by Kogi West Zonal Chairman, Hon. Aledare Emmanuel Ayo; APC Deputy State Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Salihu; and State Youth Leader, Hon. Buhari Lokoja, described the reported replacement as illegal, saying it could undermine party unity and affect the APC’s chances in future elections.
According to the petitioners, party executives across the ward, local government, zonal and state levels had, months before the primary election, passed votes of no confidence in Senator Karimi, citing concerns over his suitability and alignment with the party’s objectives in the district.
They further stated that the outcome of the APC senatorial primary election was validly conducted, with Aro emerging as the winner, adding that the result was confirmed by the party’s electoral committee and remained the only legitimate outcome before the expiration of the appeal window.
The executives argued that Senator Karimi neither challenged the primary election through the party’s appeal process nor secured any court judgment nullifying Aro’s emergence, maintaining that any subsequent replacement of the candidate would violate the Electoral Act, the APC Constitution and Guidelines, as well as the wishes of party members who participated in the primary.
The petition also dismissed reports suggesting that Aro voluntarily withdrew from the race, insisting that he did not complete or submit any withdrawal form as required by law.
The party officials alleged that the APC leadership may have been misled into approving the reported substitution and warned that failure to address the matter could deepen internal divisions within the party in Kogi West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They urged the National Working Committee to investigate the matter, reverse the alleged substitution if it occurred, restore Aro as the party’s authentic candidate for Kogi West Senatorial District, and uphold the principles of internal democracy and the rule of law.
Copies of the petition were also addressed to the APC National Secretary, the party’s National Legal Adviser and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
