APC Suspends Senator Echocho Over Alleged Anti-Party Conduct

According to Ireporter Online, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho, who represents Kogi East Senatorial District, over allegations of anti-party activities said to be contrary to the interests of the party.

The suspension was reportedly approved following a resolution reached by the Executive Committee of APC in Odu Ward 2, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, during a meeting held on May 26, 2026. The decision was later made public on Thursday in Lokoja.

In a suspension letter signed by the ward chairman, Shaibu Mohammed, the secretary, Kabiru Mohammed, and other ward executives, the senator was accused of engaging in prolonged anti-party conduct. The party leadership alleged that Echocho’s actions were linked to efforts to advance what it described as a self-serving third-term agenda rather than strengthening party unity and development at the ward and senatorial levels.

The ward executives further claimed that the senator, despite benefiting from the party’s platform for eight years, had consistently acted against the interests of the APC. They maintained that the suspension became necessary due to his alleged disregard for party discipline and cohesion, adding that his conduct had caused growing concern among members within the ward and the wider senatorial district.

However, the purported suspension has been strongly rejected by the Kogi East Progressive Forum, which described the move as illegal, baseless, and politically motivated. Speaking through its spokesperson, Comrade Musa Ibrahim, the group alleged that the action was aimed at damaging the senator’s reputation and dismissed claims linking him to anti-party activities or a planned defection.

The group insisted that no ward executive has the constitutional authority to suspend a serving senator without following due process and involving the appropriate party structures. It maintained that the announcement did not comply with established procedures and should not be recognised by party members or the public.

The forum reaffirmed that Senator Echocho remains a loyal member of the APC and has not engaged in any act that justifies the suspension. The development comes weeks after the senator criticised the APC primary election in Kogi East Senatorial District, describing the process as inconsistent with party guidelines and electoral laws. He later petitioned the party’s National Working Committee over the outcome of the primary, which produced Joseph Erico Ameh as the winner, a move that has continued to fuel political tension within the district.