Hon. Mahmood Maikudi, a former special adviser to ex-Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has accused the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of double dealing in the outcome of the protracted Kogi West senatorial primary election, alleging that the party’s returning officer signed two different result sheets for the contest.
Maikudi made the allegations on Saturday while featuring on the News Tonight programme on Arise Television, where he called for the disqualification of both Senator Sunday Karimi and Samuel Bamidele Aro, the aspirant who was ultimately declared winner of the primary.
“A Closed Mouth Is a Closed Destiny”
Speaking with visible frustration, Maikudi insisted that remaining silent in the face of alleged injustice was not an option.
“If you allow injustice to prevail, it cannot be described as destiny. If you fail to speak out, it can be likened to a closed mouth is a closed destiny,” he said.
According to Maikudi, Ustaz Abubakar Ola Zakari contested the primary with the backing of valid votes cast in his favour, only for the process to take an unexpected turn. He alleged that Aro, who he claimed did not participate in the primary election, was declared the winner.
“Somebody who did not partake in the primary election, Samuel Bamidele Aro, was declared as winner. Samuel Bamidele Aro declared he was no longer in the contest due to some influences. Only two aspirants went into the primaries — Abubakar Zakari Ola and Sunday Karimi. But to our surprise, Aro was declared winner,” Maikudi said.
Allegations of Two Signed Result Sheets
Maikudi went further to allege that the irregularities extended to the documentation of the primary’s outcome, claiming the APC returning officer appended signatures to two conflicting result sheets.
“Both Sunday Karimi and Samuel Aro should be disqualified. The APC returning officer signed two results. There is fraud and lack of internal democracy in the system. How can the party declare someone who did not go into the primaries winner?” he queried.
He called on the APC’s national secretariat and party stakeholders to urgently investigate the matter, warning that unresolved internal disputes of this nature have historically weakened political parties.
“We are calling on the national secretariat of APC and stakeholders of the party to look into this matter because similar issues has destroyed many political parties. We want justice to prevail,” he said.
“Politics Is About Trust”
Maikudi argued that political success should be built on integrity rather than manipulation, stressing that internal party democracy was central to public confidence in the system.
“Politics is not about deceiving people. There are politicians who believe in such but we hold firmly that politics is about trust — the confidence people have in you. If internal democracy is characterized by the kind of activities, then the common man has no hope. If you don’t have godfathers then there is no way to showcase your strength, even though you are the best,” he said.
He described Zakari as a well-regarded figure in the constituency, citing his record of philanthropy.
“We know the antecedents of distinguished Abubakar Zakari Ola. He has touched many lives with his hard earned money without having anything to do with the government,” Maikudi added.
Zoning and the Rotation Argument
Beyond the disputed result sheets, Maikudi raised a broader concern about zoning within Kogi West, arguing that the senatorial seat has for nearly two decades remained with the Okun axis of the district, currently represented by Senator Karimi.
“The incumbent Senator is from the Okun axis of Kogi West senatorial district. They have been holding on to this position for almost two decades. Where is fairness and equity? The position should return to the Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency,” he said.
He cited a precedent he said was set by a former lawmaker from the district.
“During the time of Senator Tunde Ogbeha, he had all the privileges to continue after spending eight years in the senate but he said no, we had moral understanding, let the Okun people have it. Smart Adeyemi went to the senate three times, Dino Melaye went there for a 4-year term. Both are from same Okun axis as the incumbent, Karimi. Yet, he still want to go back to the senate. Where is the fairness? We had a gentleman agreement on rotation and have been following it before now,” Maikudi said.
He also alleged that the Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency, despite commanding stronger voter numbers, was often disadvantaged during primaries because of the higher number of local government areas in the Okun axis.
“Based on political strength, Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency has more votes but when it comes to primaries, they can easily manipulate it because they have more local government areas. But it is not supposed to be so. We are brothers and should be seen as such,” he said.
Appeal to President Tinubu
Maikudi rounded off his appearance with a direct appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to ensure that the APC upholds its own principles and internal guidelines in resolving the Kogi West dispute.
He called on the President to ensure the party adheres strictly to its stated principles and ideologies as the crisis over the senatorial primary continues to simmer.
