The newly declared Senatorial Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kogi West, Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro has described himself as the wish of the people of the senatorial district.
Aro stated this while reacting to the Federal High Court judgment which nullified the nomination of Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, and declared him (Aro) as the validly nominated candidate of the party.
“This is the voice of Kogi West. This is the wish of Kogi West. I want to beg everybody for us to come together in one body and respect the wish of Kogi West.
“We are one family and all of us are APC members. Whether I represent or you represent is the same thing. We have a common goal and the common goal is to solve the problem of our people. I implore everybody that is dissatisfied with the pronouncements of court to please, I beg them in the name of God to forgive me, if me as a person I’m the problem, to come and let us work together to move our people forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Karimi who has vowed to challenge the judgment, described it as contrary to the evidence presented before the court, alleging that the trial judge departed from established precedents regarding statute of limitations in pre-election matters and the primary authority of political parties to conduct nominations.
Karimi maintained that Aro did not participate in the APC senatorial primary election held on May 18, 2026, accusing his rival of submitting fabricated documentation to substantiate a false claim.
“It is clear that the judgment runs contrary to the evidence before the court,” Karimi said. “The people of Kogi West, the entire state, and even Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro know that he did not participate in the primary election, yet submitted fabricated documents to support a false claim.”
The lawmaker further alleged that the legal challenge was orchestrated by political figures within the state executive leadership seeking to undermine his campaign due to his outspoken criticism over the management of state financial resources.
Reaffirming his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC, Karimi declared that his campaign structure remains fully operational while his legal team prepares an immediate appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision.
“I remain strong and undeterred, and my campaign continues with renewed zeal and vigour,” Karimi added. “I urge my supporters to stay strong as we pursue redress in court.”
