A human rights advocate in Kogi State has raised the alarm over the prolonged dispute surrounding the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kogi West Senatorial District, warning that the unresolved crisis is becoming an embarrassment to the party and a threat to public confidence in the electoral process.
Idris Miliki Abdul, Executive Director of the Conscience for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution (CHRCR), Lokoja, made the call in a statement addressing the lingering controversy, which has now stretched for over four months without resolution.
“The current situation over the rightful candidate for the APC senatorial candidate for West in Kogi State is worrisome,” Miliki said. “What is the problem really that cannot be resolved for the past four months?”
He questioned the capacity of the party’s leadership in the state to settle the matter, and noted with concern that the senatorial district has repeatedly been at the center of similar disputes.
“Who is the leader of APC in the state that can resolve this matter of candidate, and why is it always the West? We have had similar issues with Dino, now it’s Karimi. It’s unfortunate and embarrassing,” he said, referencing a past controversy involving Senator Dino Melaye and the current dispute reportedly involving a Senator Sunday Karimi.
According to Miliki, the crisis is no longer a matter that can be treated purely as an internal affair of the APC, given its implications for the broader electoral process.
“This issue goes beyond partisan interest and the internal affairs of the APC as a political party,” he said. “We call on the ODA and even the governor to resolve this matter as quickly as possible, before it degenerates into something else.”
He stressed that elections are, by nature, a contest that must produce a clear winner, and that persistent claims and counter-claims over who legitimately holds the party’s ticket for Kogi West undermine that basic principle.
“Election is a contest that must produce a winner. The claim and counter-claim of who is the candidate for APC in Kogi State’s Western senatorial district is becoming embarrassing and needs to be resolved urgently,” Miliki said.
The CHRCR boss urged relevant party organs and state authorities to act swiftly, cautioning that continued indecision could escalate tensions in the affected district ahead of future electoral engagements.
