Legal Firestorm Hits APC As Aro Files Suit Against Karimi, Party and INEC Over Kogi West Ticket

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bamidele Aro, has filed a suit against the party, Senator Sunday Karimi and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the APC’s Kogi West Senatorial District ticket for the 2027 general election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Lokoja, challenges the process that led to Karimi’s emergence as the APC’s senatorial candidate for the district.

In the originating summons, Aro is asking the court to determine whether the APC complied with its constitution, electoral guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act in conducting the nomination process.

He is also seeking a declaration that the APC primary election held on May 18, 2026, validly produced him as the party’s candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District.

In addition, Aro urged the court to invalidate the APC’s submission of Karimi’s name to INEC on July 11, 2026, arguing that the action was “null, void and of no effect.”

According to the plaintiff, he never withdrew from the race and, therefore, remains the APC’s lawful candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.

He is further asking the court to compel INEC to accept and recognize his name as the party’s authentic candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District.

The lawsuit marks a fresh twist in the dispute over the APC senatorial ticket in Kogi West following the party’s primary election.

Karimi’s Nomination

Senator Karimi was declared the winner of the APC primary after polling 51,665 votes across the district.

The result was announced by the returning officer, Isah Haruna.

Following the exercise, reports indicated that Aro and several other aspirants had withdrawn from the race before the primary election was conducted.

Karimi’s emergence also came after he was endorsed as the APC’s consensus candidate by key stakeholders in Kogi West, with the backing of Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo.

After petitions and complaints were lodged over the conduct of the primary, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) reviewed the matter based on the findings of the party’s election appeal committee.

The NWC subsequently upheld Karimi’s nomination as the APC’s duly elected candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District, after which the party submitted his name to INEC through the commission’s candidate nomination portal.