Court Nullifies APC Primary, Awards Kogi West Ticket to Aro

On November 4, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/63/2026 to nullify the APC senatorial primary for Kogi West, which was won by Senator Sunday Steve Karimi.

The court awarded the ticket to Samuel Bamidele Aro, who had previously withdrawn from the race in writing before the primary on May 18, 2026. Aro's withdrawal was made in the interest of the APC and in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's preference for experienced candidates.

On May 17, 2026, Kogi West stakeholders endorsed Karimi as the consensus candidate, leading to his unopposed candidacy and a total of 51,665 votes. However, Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled that the primary producing Karimi was invalid as it was not monitored by INEC, contradicting the withdrawal letter and ordering Aro's name to be submitted to INEC.

The ruling has sparked questions regarding the legitimacy of declaring a non-participant as a winner and the jurisdiction of the court in this matter.