Tragedy struck the All Progressives Congress in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Friday after the council chairman of the party, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, reportedly collapsed and died during a reconciliation meeting in Iyara.
Solomon was said to have been participating actively in the meeting at Iyara Town Hall when he suddenly slumped, leaving party leaders and other attendees in shock.
Efforts were reportedly made to revive him before he was rushed to a hospital in Kabba for medical attention. However, he was said to have died shortly after arriving at the facility.
The meeting was convened by a former chairman of the Ijumu Local Government Area, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and foster unity among APC members in the council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The gathering was expected to bring together party leaders, local government and ward executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.
The development has reportedly cast a pall over the party’s reconciliation efforts, coming weeks after APC stakeholders in the council publicly advocated unity and expressed support for President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, for second terms.
Earlier this month, party stakeholders had met in Iyara and called for greater cohesion among members.
However, the meeting was reportedly marred by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some government officials said to have walked out.
Olumoko, who organised Friday’s meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to work towards reconciling political stakeholders and strengthening unity within the party.
The sudden death of the APC chairman is expected to further affect ongoing efforts to reconcile the different factions and tendencies within the party in Ijumu.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of Solomon’s death had not been officially disclosed, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.