Lokoja Politics 2027: Backlash Trails Charade Endorsement of Senator Karimi as Wards A and E Demand Fair Share of Political Offices
The political atmosphere within the Lokoja All Progressives Congress (APC) has once again been thrown into tension following the controversial endorsement of Senator Sunday Karimi and others at the Reverton Hotel in Lokoja, an event many describe as a charade and a threat to party unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to concerned party members, the endorsement held on October 30, 2025, has created deep disquiet within the Lokoja LGA APC structure. The move, they say, undermines both the legacy of former Governor Yahaya Bello (AYB) and the current leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The backlash from the event has seen Ward A and Ward E APC stakeholders express strong dissatisfaction. Both wards have now demanded their rightful share of major political offices, the Lokoja Local Government Chairmanship for 2026 and the Lokoja I State Assembly seat for 2027, arguing that the endorsement did not originate from the legitimate leadership structure of the party at the state level.
Many Lokoja APC loyalists believe that the so-called endorsement represents a total deviation from the System Political Family of former Governor Yahaya Bello (F GYB), a structure widely credited for the party’s stability, unity, and successive electoral victories across Kogi State.
It is no secret that the AYB Political Family built its foundation on trust, inclusion, and a people-driven approach to governance. This model, sustained and refined by Governor Ododo, ensured the total decimation of opposition in Kogi State, a political feat that made Yahaya Bello boldly declare that there is no opposition in Kogi State.
Unfortunately, recent events in Lokoja suggest that some current leaders within the APC have abandoned this inclusive system in favor of cash and carry endorsement politics, a trend viewed by many as alien to the AYB philosophy and a direct insult to Governor Ododo’s ongoing leadership consolidation.
It is particularly disheartening that those who once benefitted from Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s visionary leadership and trust-based appointments now appear to be undermining the very system that elevated them. Their recent actions not only threaten party cohesion in Lokoja but could also set a dangerous precedent for other local government areas in Kogi State.
As a pioneer of the AYB Project in Lokoja and one of the early architects of APC’s grassroots success, I urge His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to intervene swiftly. There is an urgent need to reaffirm the party’s internal order, restore discipline, and prevent a ripple effect of factionalism across the state.
It is worth recalling that this is the second time in 2025 that such a questionable endorsement has taken place within the Lokoja APC chapter, first on Easter Monday in April 2025 and again on October 30, 2025, both at the Reverton Hotel in Lokoja.
If not addressed promptly, this trend may deepen internal cracks and weaken the formidable APC structure painstakingly built by the AYB political family over the years.
Nda Aaron
Writes from Adankolo Community, Lokoja Ward A APC