Kogi West Elders Back Tinubu’s Choice of Ministerial appointment, Raise Red Flag Over Party Crisis

The Kogi West Elders Assembly (KWEA) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, describing the move as a long-overdue recognition of Okunland.

The statement was jointly signed by Mallam Mustapha Ohinoyi representing Kogi/Lokoja Federal Constituency, Prof. David Ikupeleye representing Ijumu/ Kabba Federal Constituency and Dr. Segun Ehinlafa from Yagba Federal Constituency, noted that the area, comprising six of the seven local government areas in Kogi West Senatorial District, had not produced a minister since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo ended in 2007.

KWEA said the appointment reaffirms the President’s confidence in the human capital of the region and its contribution to national development.

However, the elders expressed concern over what they described as growing cracks within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State.

The group cited a meeting reportedly held on May 11, 2026, at the residence of the State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, in Lokoja, where some government officials and political appointees allegedly endorsed a former member of the House of Representatives, Samuel Bamidele Aro, as the preferred candidate for the 2027 senatorial election in Kogi West.

According to KWEA, the meeting was attended by loyalists of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, including commissioners and special advisers.

The elders alleged that the endorsement was aimed at undermining the incumbent senator, Sunday Steve Karimi, whom they described as widely accepted and performing.

They further claimed that tensions between the senator and the state government intensified after Karimi advocated power shift to Kogi West ahead of the state’s 35th anniversary in August 2026.

KWEA also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the APC membership registration process, claiming that membership cards were being withheld to influence the outcome of the party’s forthcoming senatorial primaries.

The group warned that such actions contradict the party’s principles of internal democracy and could deepen divisions within the APC in the state.

While reaffirming support for Senator Karimi, the elders credited him with impactful representation, particularly in areas of security, education, empowerment and infrastructure, including ongoing work on key road projects linking Abuja, Lokoja and other parts of Kogi West.

The assembly described as “offensive and disrespectful” any attempt by a “few political actors” to impose candidates on the people, insisting that the electorate should be allowed to decide.

KWEA urged President Tinubu to take note of the situation, warning that unresolved internal disputes within the APC in Kogi West could have negative consequences for the party’s electoral fortunes.