Karimi emerges ‘unity candidate’ for Kogi West APC, Bello favours Yagba

Two-term member of the House of Representatives, Sunday Karimi, has emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) ‘unity candidate’ for Kogi West senatorial district seat.

This was the outcome of APC stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday night, with all the senatorial aspirants from Kogi West in attendance. The meeting was at the instance of Governor Yahaya Bello, an APC presidential aspirant.

At the meeting, the governor was quoted as telling the stakeholders that the APC could not afford to go into primary election for the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly without consideration for consensus.

This, according to the governor, is following the seamless process of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primary election in Kogi West, which produced Reps member, Tajudeen Yusuf.

Governor Bello admonished aspirants, who were not favoured in the consensus, not to work against the arrangement, as such action would be tantamount to working against the overall interest of the party.

No fewer than six aspirants obtained the APC expression of interest and nomination forms for the Kogi West senatorial election. They include Senator Smart Adeyemi, Dr. Muyi Aina, Christopher Oni, Mrs. Doyin Eshanumi, Olusegun Joseph and Karimi.

Except Adeyemi, who is from Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, the other five aspirants are from Yagba, which had been agitating for the shift of the Senate seat to the area after eight years of Lokoja/Kotonkarfe and 16 years of Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu.

Bello is said to be favourably disposed to Yagba producing the next Kogi West senator; hence, his endorsement of Karimi, who is seen as a formidable contender from Yagba and considering his experience as a two-term federal lawmaker.

The development, The Guardian gathered, is aimed at pruning down aspirants from Yagba one, to boost the chances of the federal constituency at tomorrow’s election.