In a political environment often defined by parochial interests and narrow calculations, moments of statesmanship stand out sharply.
One such moment recently unfolded in Kogi State when the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, extended a scholarship scheme worth over ₦100 million to indigent students from Kogi East Senatorial District—a constituency outside his electoral base.
The gesture, rare by any standard and unprecedented in the political history of Kogi State, has continued to generate widespread applause across the state.
For many observers, it was more than an act of philanthropy; it was a deliberate statement about leadership, unity, and the broader meaning of representation in a plural society.
Scholarship Beyond Constituency Lines
In Nigeria’s political culture, lawmakers are often judged by how much they “bring home” to their immediate constituencies.
Senator Karimi’s decision to channel substantial educational support to Kogi East—while representing Kogi West—challenged this entrenched thinking.
Across Kogi, students, parents, civil society actors, and opinion leaders hailed the intervention as a refreshing departure from politics of exclusion. To them, education remains a shared burden and a collective investment, not a regional entitlement.
By prioritising indigence over geography, the senator projected a vision of Kogi as a single political and moral community.
A Record That Redefines Representation
Beyond this singular intervention, supporters argue that Senator Karimi’s stewardship in the Red Chamber has been marked by visibility, advocacy, and tangible engagement with constituents.
In Kogi West, many view him as “the best thing that has happened to the district in the history of representation at the National Assembly.”
His supporters cite legislative participation, constituency outreach, and social interventions as evidence of a lawmaker who understands both the symbolic and practical demands of office.
In a system where silence in parliament is often mistaken for loyalty, Karimi’s assertiveness has set him apart.
Second Term Politics and the APC Crosscurrents
Unsurprisingly, such prominence has also placed the senator at the centre of intense political calculations ahead of the next election cycle.
Within Kogi APC, tensions persist, particularly between entrenched state party structures and individual power blocs.
While Senator Karimi’s second-term ambition is widely regarded by his supporters as sacrosanct, the path ahead is far from smooth.
The ongoing political struggle within the state APC has fueled speculation about where the real power lies.
Some political observers believe the senator enjoys strong backing from the national hierarchy of the APC, a factor that could significantly shape internal party outcomes.
Others argue that in Kogi politics, the governor still holds the aces, especially when it comes to party machinery, delegate control, and grassroots mobilisation.
Between Principle and Pragmatism
What makes the Karimi situation particularly instructive is the broader question it raises: can performance, popularity, and cross-regional goodwill outweigh internal party dynamics? Or will state-level power structures ultimately determine political survival?
The scholarship gesture, while humanitarian in outlook, also carries political implications. It has elevated Senator Karimi’s profile beyond Kogi West, positioning him as a unifying figure at a time when ethno-regional suspicions often dominate political discourse.
A Test Case for Kogi Politics
As the battle lines quietly form, Senator Karimi’s political future may well become a test case for the direction of politics in Kogi State: whether merit, inclusiveness, and performance can triumph over factionalism and gatekeeping.
For now, one fact remains undeniable—by investing in the future of young people outside his senatorial district, Senator Sunday Karimi has written his name into Kogi’s political narrative in bold ink.
Whether that legacy translates into long-term political security will depend on how the coming power contest within the APC ultimately plays out.
– Musa Ahmad writes from Lokoja.
