The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified Senator Sunday Karimi’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 Kogi West Senatorial election, declaring Bamidele Aro the rightful winner of the party’s primary and ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him.
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In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Justice Salim Ibrahim directed the APC to submit Aro’s name to INEC as its candidate for the Kogi West Senatorial District election. The court also ordered INEC to publish his name and restrained Karimi from presenting himself as the APC’s candidate.
Key Highlights
- Federal High Court nullifies Sunday Karimi’s APC senatorial ticket for Kogi West.
- Bamidele Aro declared the rightful winner of the APC primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
- Court orders APC to submit Aro’s name to INEC.
- INEC directed to recognise and publish Aro as the party’s candidate.
- Karimi rejects the judgment and indicates plans to appeal.
Court Cites INEC Monitoring of APC Primary
The judgment followed a dispute over two separate primary election exercises conducted in connection with the APC’s nomination for the Kogi West senatorial seat.
Aro had approached the court, arguing that he won the APC primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and should be recognised as the party’s candidate instead of Karimi, whose name was subsequently submitted to INEC. The suit was first reported in July after it was filed in Lokoja.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ibrahim held that the primary won by Aro was organised by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) Election Committee and monitored by INEC.
The judge, however, observed that the separate exercise allegedly won by Karimi was not monitored by the electoral commission.
He further noted that INEC had no official record of the results of the primary election Karimi claimed to have won.
According to the judgment, the commission failed to provide a certified true copy of the purported results despite a request made by Karimi in a letter dated June 15.
Court Relies on Electoral Act, 2022
Relying on Sections 84(1) and 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, Justice Ibrahim maintained that compliance with the legal requirements governing party primaries was compulsory.
The judge also held that an aspirant who secures the highest number of votes in a valid primary is entitled to be recognised as the winner and issued the relevant nomination documents.
The APC, Karimi and INEC were listed as defendants in the suit.
Karimi, INEC and APC Challenged Suit
During the proceedings, lawyers representing the defendants challenged the competence of the case, arguing that it was filed outside the constitutionally prescribed period for pre-election matters.
Karimi’s lawyer, John Olusola Baiyeshea, SAN, argued that the primary election took place on May 18, while the senator’s name was submitted to INEC on June 29.
He maintained that Aro did not institute the case until late July, exceeding the 14-day period provided under Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution.
Dayo Akinlaja, SAN, who represented INEC, and A. G. Ivom, counsel to the APC, also urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it was statute-barred.
However, Aro’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, SAN, argued that the evidence before the court, including election results obtained from INEC, established that his client won the primary.
The case was initially instituted at the Federal High Court in Lokoja but was later transferred to Abuja over security concerns.
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Karimi Rejects Judgment, Plans Appeal
Following the judgment, Karimi rejected the decision and indicated that he would challenge it at the appellate court.
The senator questioned the court’s interpretation of the law and the evidence presented during the proceedings but urged his supporters to remain calm while his legal team pursued the appeal.
Aro, meanwhile, welcomed the judgment and extended a hand of friendship to the incumbent senator, appealing for reconciliation rather than hostility.
APC Kogi West Ticket Dispute May Continue
The ruling has introduced fresh uncertainty into the APC’s Kogi West senatorial nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although the Federal High Court has ordered the APC and INEC to recognise Aro as the party’s candidate, Karimi’s decision to appeal means the legal battle over the senatorial ticket could continue.
The outcome of the anticipated appeal may therefore determine the final resolution of the dispute over who represents the APC in the Kogi West Senatorial District election.
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