By joshua KOGI WEST APC TICKET CRISIS: 4 MONTHS OF UNCERTAINTY THREATENS PARTY STABILITY AHEAD OF 2027
The prolonged dispute over the rightful APC senatorial candidate for Kogi West is no longer an internal party squabble. It has become worrisome, embarrassing, and a growing threat to the party’s cohesion in the state.
For over four months, the claim and counter-claim of who stands as the APC candidate for Kogi West Senatorial District have remained unresolved. The stalemate raises a fundamental question: what exactly is the problem, and who in the APC leadership structure in Kogi State has the authority and political will to settle it?
This is not the first time the West Senatorial District has been at the center of such controversy. The district witnessed similar tensions during the era of Senator Dino Melaye. Today, the same pattern is repeating itself with Senator Sunday Steve Karimi. That recurrence is both unfortunate and embarrassing for a party that prides itself on discipline and internal democracy.
The issue now transcends partisan interest and the internal affairs of the APC alone. A drawn-out candidate crisis undermines public confidence, weakens the party’s standing with voters, and gives the opposition room to exploit divisions. Election is a contest that must produce a clear winner. It cannot be built on uncertainty.
We therefore call on the Kogi State APC leadership, the Ododo Administration, ODA, and Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo to intervene urgently and resolve this matter before it degenerates into something more damaging. Silence or delay at this stage will cost the party more than any individual ambition.
Kogi West deserves clarity, not confusion. The APC deserves resolution, not repeated cycles of imposition and counter-imposition. The time to act is now.
Signed:
Idris Miliki Abdul
Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, CHRCR
Lokoja, Kogi State