The Kogi West Elders Assembly (KWEA) has expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, describing the move as a long-overdue recognition of Okunland in Kogi West Senatorial District.
In a statement jointly signed by prominent leaders from the district, Mallam Mustapha Ohinoyi, Prof. David Ikupeleye and Dr. Segun Ehinlafa, made available to newsmen on Tuesday, the group noted that Okunland, which comprises six out of the seven local government areas in Kogi West, had allegedly been excluded from ministerial appointments for nearly two decades since the end of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 2007.
KWEA described Ambassador Enikanolaiye as one of Nigeria’s finest diplomat-bureaucrats and said President Tinubu had demonstrated confidence in the human resources available in the area.
The group, however, raised concerns over what it described as growing cracks within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The elders reacted to a purported stakeholders’ meeting reportedly held at the Lokoja residence of the Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, where Samuel Bamidele Aro was allegedly endorsed as the preferred APC candidate for Kogi West Senatorial District in 2027.
According to the assembly, the meeting was attended by political appointees, commissioners, special advisers and loyalists of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo from Kogi West.
KWEA alleged that the endorsement was targeted at undermining the incumbent Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Steve Karimi, whom it described as hardworking, humble and widely accepted across the district.
The group claimed Senator Karimi fell out of favour with the state government after advocating power shift to Kogi West ahead of the 2027 governorship contest, especially as Kogi State approaches its 35th anniversary in August 2026 without producing a governor from the district.
The elders further alleged that efforts had been made in recent months to weaken Karimi politically, including a purported vote of no confidence organised in Kabba earlier this year, which they said was later countered by rallies and meetings across the district in support of the senator.
KWEA also accused the Kogi APC leadership of withholding membership cards issued during the party’s recent e-registration exercise, alleging that the move was intended to manipulate the outcome of the forthcoming senatorial primary against aspirants not aligned with the Ododo political camp.
The assembly warned that such actions contradict the APC national leadership’s commitment to fairness, inclusiveness and internal democracy.
While commending Senator Karimi’s performance in the Senate, the group highlighted his interventions in security, education, empowerment and road infrastructure, particularly the ongoing reconstruction works on the Abuja-Lokoja highway and the Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe-Ilorin road.
The elders cautioned against any attempt to impose candidates on the people of Kogi West, warning that internal divisions within the APC could have serious consequences for the party in future elections.
