- “Let’s remove the lies, you have the highest votes in Kogi State. And we cannot play with your votes” – Karimi
Key All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Kogi State, led by Senators Sunday Steve Karimi and Jibril Isah Echocho, have intensified political mobilization ahead of the 2027 general elections, rallying grassroots support in Kogi East for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates.
The campaign outreach took center stage during the Win With Tinubu (WWT) Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency Town Hall Meeting in Anyigba on Thursday.
Senator Jibril Isah Echocho was represented by Akpa J. Omale at the gathering.
Speaking at the meeting, Senator Karimi (Kogi West) called for stronger political unity between all three senatorial district in the state.
He urged Igala-Bassa nation to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
“I am here to speak for Mr. President. I am here to see what I can do to elevate Mr. President in this senatorial district,” he said.
He added that he was not out to divide the party. “I am out to work for Mr. President. And if anybody is not happy about it, I am very sorry,” he said.
Acknowledging the Igala-Bassa people’s electoral strength, the senator said: “Let’s remove lies: you have the highest vote in Kogi State. And we cannot play with your vote.”
He pledged that the mobilisation would not end at the town hall. “We are going to work in Kogi East for the President to win the election,” he said, adding that he would return to the area.
Senator Karimi recalled the political relationship between President Tinubu and the late Prince Abubakar Audu, former governor of Kogi State.
He connected that historical relationship to the political development of Kogi State and the enduring influence of the Audu–Faleke political legacy.
Karimi also highlighted Hon. James Abiodun Faleke’s continued engagement with the people of Kogi East, arguing that his political activities and empowerment initiatives had helped strengthen relationships between Kogi East and Kogi West.
According to the senator, himself and Hon Faleke’s interventions across the state, undertaken in the name of President Tinubu, demonstrated the importance of maintaining political relationships that transcend senatorial and local government boundaries.
He further pointed to federal financial allocations to states and local governments under the Tinubu administration, stressing that the ultimate objective of public resources should be to improve living conditions and deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Nigerians.
Karimi urged participants to consider the administration’s record, policies, and interventions in assessing its performance and determining their political choices in 2027.
Before his address, Karimi asked the gathering to observe a minute of silence for the late Prince Abubakar Audu and former Governor Ibrahim Idris, whose contributions to the state’s development and political history he acknowledged.
The meeting also featured contributions from retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abutu Yaro; former Director-General of the National Productivity Centre, Dr. Kashim Akor, and Chief Sayo Dada, leader of the Yoruba community in Dekina Local Government Area.
In his presentation, Ato Kolo Onalo extensively highlighted the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration in Nigeria and Kogi State. His presentation provided a basis for the organisers’ argument that the administration’s policies and interventions should inform public assessment ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described Karimi as a “true bridge builder,” citing his efforts to connect Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi West.
“In this assembly this afternoon, we have a messenger, a representative, who is a true bridge builder: Senator Steve Sunday Karimi,” Onalo said. He added that it was the first time in his adult life of following politics that he could say so boldly.
Onalo said Karimi’s presence in Kogi East should be seen as an effort to represent the President and communicate the administration’s record, not as interference in another senatorial district.
He pointed to the senator’s bursary scheme for students from across Kogi State, irrespective of senatorial district. “I am a beneficiary,” he said.
He also praised the provision of shuttle bus in Lokoja, which he said serve Igala, Ebira, Okun and other minority communities and ease the burden of rising transport costs following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“In recognition of that pain and the need to alleviate the pains of our people, this Senator that you see today has provided shuttle buses for the city of Lokoja,” he said.
Onalo said he was not seeking to indict any governor. He urged citizens to ask how funds freed by the subsidy removal were being used, and acknowledged public concerns over the cost of living. He said the gathering was also an opportunity to explain the economic, structural and social reforms introduced since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Hon. Musa Bakare, Chief Strategist, Media and Publicity of WWTS Kogi State, urged supporters to appreciate the Tinubu administration through their votes. He cited ongoing road construction and other projects as part of the administration’s record.
He commended Karimi for travelling from Abuja to engage Kogi East stakeholders, and said Tinubu’s political interests should not be viewed through regional divisions. He also acknowledged the WWTS Kogi State Coordinator, Hon. Sani Philips, and thanked Karimi for choosing him for the role.
Other stakeholders, including AIG Abutu Yaro and Dr. Kassim Akor, were also recognised for their part in the mobilisation.
Expressing confidence in the initiative, Bakare said supporters would celebrate when the election results were announced, and called for victory for all APC candidates in Kogi State.
Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Abutu Yaro welcomed Karimi and other dignitaries, including representatives of political leaders and participants from different local government areas, communities and wards.
Yaro said the meeting aimed to sensitise the people and appeal for their support for President Tinubu at the polls. He commended Karimi for strengthening the Tinubu campaign team in Kogi State, particularly in Kogi West, and for his role in the growth of the APC and in encouraging voter participation. He expressed hope that the senator would visit the area again.
