They Want To Persecute Me – Karimi Reacts To Court Judgement Sacking Him As Kogi West Senatorial Candidate 

The senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, has said he will appeal the Federal High Court judgment that nullified his nomination as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 general election.

Karimi, who is seeking a second term in the Senate, rejected the ruling and insisted that he remains the rightful APC candidate for Kogi West.

Naija News reports that the case was filed by Samuel Aro, who challenged the APC’s decision to submit Karimi’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the election.

The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in Aro’s favour on Wednesday, cancelling Karimi’s nomination and ordering the APC to replace his name with that of the plaintiff.

In the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Ibrahim in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/63/2026, the court upheld the APC primary election held on May 18, 2026, which Aro won.

The judge said the APC acted wrongly by submitting Karimi’s name to INEC on July 11, 2026, instead of recognising Aro as the winner of the primary election.

The court ordered INEC to recognize Aro as the APC candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District in the 2027 election.

It also stopped Karimi from parading himself as the party’s candidate.

The APC was equally barred from submitting his name to INEC or refusing to recognise Aro’s nomination.

INEC was also directed not to recognize or publish Karimi’s name as the APC candidate for the senatorial district.

However, Karimi has rejected the court’s decision, arguing that it did not reflect the evidence presented during the case.

In a statement released on Thursday, the lawmaker wrote: “It is clear that the judgment runs contrary to the evidence before the court. It is also unfortunate that the trial judge departed from his own previous rulings, having decided at least three similar cases on the statute of limitations in pre-election proceedings and the proper authority to conduct party primaries and determine their winners.

“The people of Kogi West, the entire state, and even Samuel Bamidele Aro know that he did not participate in the primary election, yet submitted fabricated documents to support a false claim.

“I wish to state that this incident is the handiwork of the state’s rulers who have been desperate and relentless in their efforts to persecute me and protect their grip on Kogi State’s resources, an issue I have spoken out against.

“I remain strong and undeterred, and my campaign continues with renewed zeal and vigour. My detractors do not love our party or Mr President. I remain Mr President’s number-one supporter in Kogi State.”