The controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Kogi West has taken another dimension, as a political support group, PBAT/DSSK, has alleged an ongoing plot to suspend the winner of the primary election, Senator Sunday Karimi, from the party over alleged anti-party activities.

Senator Karimi emerged victorious in the APC senatorial primary election held on Monday, May 18, 2026, after polling 51,665 votes across the district.

The result was officially announced by the Kogi West APC Senatorial District Returning Officer, Haruna Isah, who stated that Karimi defeated four other aspirants in the contest.

Haruna also disclosed that some aspirants, including Hon. Sam Aro, Senator Smart Adeyemi, and Tajudeen Bisimillahi, had formally communicated their withdrawal from the race before the conclusion of the exercise.

However, days after the primary, a different result reportedly surfaced online, claiming that one of the withdrawn aspirants, Sam Aro, had won the election. The development sparked widespread reactions among party stakeholders, many of whom described the alleged result as a distortion of an already concluded process.

Speaking on the matter, an APC chieftain in Kogi West and Coordinator of PBAT/DSSK, Pastor Adekunle David Dada, alleged that fresh attempts were being made to undermine Senator Karimi’s victory.

In a statement issued in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area, the hometown of Senator Karimi, Dada claimed that some political actors within the state were working to legitimise an alternative outcome to the primary election.

“On Wednesday, all seven local government APC chairmen in Kogi West were allegedly summoned to Lokoja in what appeared to be an attempt to undermine Karimi’s victory and legitimise another aspirant as the authentic winner. However, the move was strongly resisted,” he stated.

Dada further alleged that there were plans to suspend Senator Karimi from the party through ward-level party structures.

“We are hearing reports of plans to suspend Senator Karimi from the APC using certain ward executives. Such a move, if true, would only deepen tensions within the party and further divide loyal members,” he said.

Another stakeholder, M.A. Yusuf, also expressed concerns over the growing internal crisis within the APC in Kogi State.

According to him, “The continued internal disputes and perceived intimidation of party members considered to be politically influential could weaken the APC ahead of future elections. The national leadership of the party must urgently intervene to ensure fairness, justice, and internal democracy.”

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kogi State APC leadership nor allies of former Governor Yahaya Bello had officially responded to the allegations.

The unfolding situation has continued to generate debate among party faithful and political observers across Kogi State, with many calling on the APC national leadership to intervene and restore confidence in the party’s internal processes.