The recent defection of former member House of Representatives, Hon. Sunday Karimi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has been described as a huge loss to the opposition party.
Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Monday, a political leader from Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon. Toba Abraham said Karimi’s departure is an ominous sign of the calamity that is set to befall the PDP.
He described Karimi as a humble and loyal party man who has worked hard to ensure the sustenance and survival of the party not only in Kogi West senatorial district but in Kogi state as a whole.
He said Hon. Karimi remained one of the major financiers and pillars of PDP in Kogi State having helped to build the party to its present status.
According to Abraham, Hon. Sunday Karimi is a straight forward and honest politician with serious commitment to party development and people’s growth, having a political structure with support base across the 85 wards of Kogi West.
“Though he never asked his supporters to support APC in the last election in the state but his body language and his refusal to support the PDP was no doubt largely responsible for the abysmal performance of PDP in Kogi West in the just concluded governorship/senatorial elections.
“In Yagba where the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP comes from, Karimi was able to reduce the margin of lead substantially. This no doubt is a testimony to the political stature and popularity of Hon. Karimi,” he said.
Hon. Toba explained that PDP under the leadership of Uche Secondus got it wrong by giving the soul of the party to Sen. Bukola Saraki who joined others to murder the party in Kogi State.
According to him, it all started when Secondus and Saraki came up with their automatic ticket agenda by giving the party ticket to Sen. Dino Melaye, preventing others from the contest.
He explained that Karimi was first disqualified by the party screening committee on frivolous and fabricated reasons of not being a financial member of PDP all just to give way to Dino. He noted that the unscrupulous report was appealed and another screening was rescheduled and conducted at the PDP secretariat Wadata house, Abuja but to the dismay of everyone certificate of clearance was never issued to Hon. Sunday Karimi till today all at the instance of Uche Secondus and Bukola Saraki.
“What could be more ridiculous than this? Is this not a signal that Sunday Karimi was not wanted anymore in the party? How many politicians of Karimi’s stature would succumbed to this conspiracy and political assault? But a non desperate Karimi, against the decision of his group to challenge the mess in court, opted to work for the success of his party which he did with vigour and all seriousness. Let it be told here that if Karimi had left the party that time the PDP would have been dead by now. Yet, Hon. Karimi put all those behind him and resolved to work for the success of his party not minding the way and manner he was treated. He spent so much of his hard earned resources campaigning and mobilizing for the party to win the 2019 general election. In fact, Hon. Karimi single handedly financed a campaign train which moved round the entire towns and villages in the 34 wards of Yagba federal constituency which he represented at the National Assembly.
“Unfortunately and most painful of it all was the way and manner some PDP leaders and members engaged in anti-party activities by working against the PDP candidate for the House of Representatives which the party lost, all in an attempt to push Karimi away from the party.
“Since that time, Hon. Karimi has been considering the option of stepping aside from the party activities until the likes of Chief Abiodun Ojo encouraged him to join Abubakar Ibrahim’s governorship project. It is quite worrisome, rather unfortunate, that those who are castigating Hon. Karimi for working for the APC today failed to questioned those who worked against PDP in the last election. Uche Secondus and Sen. Bukola Saraki should be questioned on their roles and involvement in foistering anti-democratic principles on the party which has largely affected the fortunes of the party. However, Hon. Karimi can not be completely absolved of the blame for Uche Secondus undoing simply because in the run up to the PDP national convention where Uche Secondus led Executive emerged, Karimi worked hard for Secondus and Kola Ologbondiyan’s emergence, he was Secondus Coordinator for Kogi State and mobilizing PDP members at the national assembly even when he was warned against supporting Uche Secondus.
“It is obvious that for his openness, loyalty and hardworking, he is paid back with evil,” he said.
Hon. Abraham stated that Toba having had one on one discussion with Hon. Karimi with a view to beg him to stay in the party, it will be wrong for any person to adduced the reason for Karimi’s defection to a failed attempt to secure the deputy governorship candidature of the PDP as being insinuated by certain persons.
“This is because, there was never a time Karimi’s choice of deputy governorship was discussed. He never shown nor indicated interest in becoming a deputy governorship candidate. Nobody and I mean nobody can come out to say that Hon. Karimi at sometimes discussed the idea of becoming deputy governor with him/her, neither has he indicated his interest at any given opportunity in the position of Deputy Governor. He had consistently assured his followers of his preference for the legislature. His support and commitment to Abubakar Ibrahim governorship project was purely on principle and not for any aspiration of his.
“For the former lawmaker who is a former PDP deputy chairman in the state to leave the party at this critical moment may further diminished the fortunes of the party in the state. Karimi felt in his own wisdom he could no long continue to stay in the party that detest truth, abhor honesty but celebrate mediocrity. Though it was a difficult decision for him to leave the party he had worked hard with others to build but since it was obvious that the party under Secondus is not interested in party loyalty but highest bidder there is no better time than now for him to bid the party bye.”
