By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The KARIMI 2.0 Group, a socio-political organisation mobilising support for Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, has condemned the communiqué issued after the recent Kogi West All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders’ Strategic Alignment Meeting held in Lokoja.
In a statement signed by the group’s coordinators, Comrade Danladi Suleiman and Gbenga Adekunle, the group described the gathering as an assembly of “self-appointed political actors” allegedly seeking to impose candidates on the people ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group accused the organisers of undermining democratic principles and attempting to manipulate the political landscape in Kogi West Senatorial District, insisting that the communiqué was driven by fear over the growing popularity and grassroots support enjoyed by Senator Karimi across the district.
According to the statement, no group of individuals possesses either the constitutional or moral authority to determine the political future of Kogi West outside established democratic and party procedures.
“The people of Kogi West are not political slaves to be dictated to by a few power brokers hiding under the umbrella of stakeholders,” the statement said, while also alleging that threats and intimidation were directed at perceived political opponents.
The group maintained that intimidation and coercion have no place in a democratic environment, stressing that democracy should be anchored on participation, open competition, consultation, and the free choice of the electorate.
It further argued that the APC remains a democratic institution guided by constitutional procedures and due process, adding that no informal endorsement arrangement could override the wishes of party members and the electorate.
The KARIMI 2.0 Group attributed the senator’s growing acceptance across the seven local government areas of Kogi West to what it described as his “purposeful representation, constituency projects, empowerment initiatives, educational interventions, and sustained grassroots engagements.”
“The acceptance of Senator Sunday Steve Karimi lives in the minds of the thousands of people who have benefitted from his purposeful representation. No amount of gang-up or scripted communiqués can erase the relationship between the senator and the people,” the statement added.
The group also accused promoters of the stakeholders’ communiqué of attempting to sidestep internal democracy through what it described as a “carefully arranged political script” aimed at intimidating aspirants and controlling the political space ahead of 2027.
It stressed that the decision on who represents Kogi West in the Senate from 2027 ultimately rests with the people, insisting that political offices cannot be allocated through closed-door meetings and elite endorsements.
While urging supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding, the group expressed confidence that the electorate would make their voices heard at the appropriate time, insisting that the will of the people would prevail.
