The agitation for Yagba Federal Constituency to have its turn in the rotation of the Senate seat of Kogi West Senatorial District had been on. In 2023, God in His infinite mercy and power, brought the legitimate agitation to come to pass; after eight years of Lokoja/Kotonkarfe and 16 years of Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituencies. God made this happen through His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State in fulfilment of his promise in 2019 to help the people of Yagba Federal Constituency realize their desire for a Yagba man to represent Kogi West in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
The grace of God smiled on the sitting Senator Karimi Sunday who with the support of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, secured the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and went on to win the General Election in Kogi West on February 25, 2023.
Curiously, the victory of Senator Karimi came as a surprise to some Yagba stakeholders who did not believe Senator Karimi could defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Tajudeen Yusuf who hailed from Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency. By the estimation of these unscrupulous elements, Karimi Sunday would be an easy prey for the PDP candidate, and thus they projected that the defeat of Karimi would pave the way to another opportunity for them (another Yagba man, asides Karimi) to run in the year 2027.
But to their dismay, Senator Karimi won the Kogi West election with a landslide, leading with almost 20,000 votes to become the first Yagbaman to go to Senate, since the advent of the current political dispensation in 1999.
Immediately after the inauguration of Senator Karimi Sunday in the Red Chamber, those Yagba elements who could not come to terms with the reality resorted to clandestine and deceitful means to destroy the robust relationship between Senator Sunday Karimi and Governor Yahaya Bello. This over ambitious set of Yagba politicians started going round with the rumour mill that the Governor is no longer happy with Senator Karimi, ostensibly to set APC faithful across Kogi West against and to distance themselves from the Senator.
Upon failure to achieve the anticipated division between Senator Karimi and his benefactor, Governor Yahaya bello, these selfish set of Yagba Stakeholders held several meetings with the PDP candidate in order to help him secure back door victory at the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
The battle in the courts became tense after the victory of Senator Karimi at the tribunal with the traducers under the belief that Karimi could not escape defeat at the appellate Court. The plots however fell like a pack of cards as the appeal court ruled in Karimi’s favour. This came as a rude shock to the group of enemies within who celeberated the possible defeat of Senator Karimi in advance.
As soon as the court cases were laid to rest, this group of people posthaste returned to the drawing board with the agenda to device a way to stop Karimi from a second term in 2027.
Part of the plot was to recruit some APC members both at local and state levels to start spreading the rumour that Senator Karimi worked against the Party during the last elections, in disloyalty to the party that brought him to the Senate. These negative comments about Karimi soon found their way to the office of the Governor.
On his part, when confronted with the rumours, Senator Karimi said he has nothing to fear having contributed immensely to the victory of the APC in the November 11 governorship election. He maintained that the rumour about divisions between him and the Governor is a figment of imagination of the peddlers as he has a robust relationship with Governor Yahaya Bello who doubles as APC leader in Kogi State.
Senator Karimi also challenged his traducers to come forward with the evidence where any of his followers across Kogi West worked against APC.
Distinguished Senator Karimi Sunday Steve is known for his sincerity of purpose. He is not hypocritical in any way, unlike his detractors.
Senator Karimi contributed massively to the victory of Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo in the last gubernatorial election from Kotokarfe to Yagba West, anyone interested in what Karimi did for the Governor-Elect, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo can make enquiry across the seven local government areas in Kogi West.
Senator Karimi believes whatever he did for APC and Ododo in the last election, he did as his responsibility as a leading and loyal stakeholder of the party in his constituency. His contribution toward the victory of his party is not an eye service.
I wish to use this medium to appeal to all right thinking members of our great party, APC, in Kogi West to be wary of the shenanigans of these few elements who are hell bent to cause disharmony within the rank and file of the party pursuant to their self serving agenda. To the enemies of Karimi within, I appeal to you to stop wasting your time. Let’s not distract Senator Karimi from concentrating on the good job he has started in the delivery of democracy dividends to the good people of Kogi West. 2027 is in the hand of God.
– Opeyemi David writes from Lokoja.
