By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA — Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security agencies, and the leadership of the party to investigate allegations of result manipulation linked to the recently concluded senatorial primary election.
The stakeholders said a transparent and impartial review of the claims would help protect confidence in the party’s internal democratic process and promote unity ahead of the general elections.
According to the official results announced by the Returning Officer for the district, Haruna Isah, Senator Sunday Karimi won the APC Kogi West Senatorial primary with 51,665 votes.
Other aspirants recorded significantly lower figures, with Samuel Aro polling 620 votes, Smart Adeyemi securing 571 votes, Alhaji Abubakar Zakari Ola scoring 414 votes, while Elizabeth Adedoyin received 18 votes.
Party officials stated that the certified results were submitted to the APC Kogi State Senatorial Primary Election Committee and reflected what they described as widespread support for Karimi across the seven local government areas of Kogi West.
However, controversy reportedly followed the exercise after claims emerged that an alternative result sheet surfaced after the official declaration. The development sparked protests in parts of Okunland, especially within the Yagba axis, where youth groups and party supporters demanded clarification from the party leadership.
The stakeholders stressed that the APC’s reputation has been built on fairness and internal democracy, urging the party to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations to avoid further division within its ranks.
They also appealed to supporters of all aspirants to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding while relevant authorities review the matter.
Speaking on the controversy, the Media Coordinator of the Karimi Campaign Team, Adewale Asepo, expressed concern over what he described as attempts to undermine Senator Karimi’s victory.
Asepo stated that Karimi was officially declared winner of the primary election held on May 18 with what he described as a clear and overwhelming mandate of 51,665 votes.
According to him, the result reflected the collective decision of delegates from the seven local government areas in Kogi West, adding that any alternative outcome after the official declaration would undermine the democratic process of the party.
He called on the national leadership of the APC and President Tinubu to take swift action by investigating the alleged irregularities, sanctioning anyone found culpable, and reaffirming the officially declared result.
Asepo maintained that protecting the integrity of the primary election process is necessary to sustain the confidence of party members and supporters.
