Amid Cheers, Curtain Draws On Kogi West Town Halls At Lokoja, As Senator Karimi Lists Scorecard, Says Tinubu’s Second Term Top Priority
By Ralph Omololu Agbana
Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi on Monday engaged his constituents in Lokoja/KotonKarfe federal constituency in a town hall at Lokoja, Kogi State capital.
The meeting was the third and concluding leg of the senator’s consultations across the three federal constituencies in Kogi West.
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Kogi West comprises Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu, Lokoja/Koton-Karfe and Yagba federal constituencies. Ahead of the grand finale, two previous town halls involving costutuents from Yagba and Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal constituencies were held in Isanlu and Kabba headquarters of Yagba East and Kabba-Bunu Local Government Areas on August 2 and 13, 2026, respectively.
The aim, according to the organizers, who include stalwats of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial district, was to present Senator Karimi’s scorecard in the 10th Senate, promote unity within the ruling party and mobilize support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and all APC candidates in the 2027 elections within the senatorial district.
Karimi told a crowd of enthusiasts from Lokoja and Kogi local councils who gathered to receive him that in the area of water, he provided about 22 solar powered motorized boreholes in different communities in the constituency. In addition, the lawmaker, while expressing deep concerns over the acute water problems in the state capital, announced that plans were afoot to sink five industrial boreholes within one-month execution and completion target. He said the industrial borehole projects would be funded by a federal government agency under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
In the areas of education and power, Senator Karimi said he provided transformers (five in Sarki Noma, Mount Patti, Obajana, and rehabilitated one at Offege-Baptist Area in Lokoja and two in Kotonkarfi) and solar lights both in Lokoja and KotonKarfe.
Im the education sector, he pointed to the N1.2bn remodeling of Government Science Secondary School, Kotonkarfe and bursaries for over 650 students from the two local government areas who benefitted from the yearly bursary scheme initiated by Sunday Steve Karimi Education Foundation in conjunction with Tinubu Support Group, within two years.
According to him, the scheme, entering third year in 2026 since commencement in 2024, is self-financed,
The breakdown of the bursary distribution in the Lokoja/ KotonKarfe federal constituency shows that 150 and 200 students of Lokoja origins each received N100,000 bursary in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Also, 120 and 160 students of Kogi LGA origins each also received 100,000 during the time under review.
Senator Karimi took the opportunity to announce the commencement of application intake for the third edition of the N300m Bursary Award to indigenous students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, spread across the three senatorial districts in Kogi State, namely Kogi West, Central and East Senatorial Districts
He also spoke about his intervention in healthcare where he has been able to facilitate the construction of a cottage hospital in Edu-Kakanda, Lokoja Local Government, which has been fully completed. He promised to equip the facility before handing it over for use before the year runs out.
“I want to appreciate you all for coming. I also want to appreciate the fact that you came out en masse during the primary election to vote for me. I want to let you know that I will never disappoint you. The confidence you have in me will never be misplaced”, he said.
In his opening remarks, influential APC leader in the constituency, Hon. Sulaiman Baba-Ali commended the constituents for turning out in their large numbers for the engagement.
Baba-Ali, who is also the Gabi-Sayadi of Lokoja, described Senator Karimi as “the best Allah has given,” praising his contributions to the development and welfare of constituents.
He presented Karimi to the people of Lokoja/KotonKarfe as the only recognised candidate of APC in Kogi West while also urging them to vote en masse for him, President Tinubu and all APC candidates in 2027, adding that a collective support for the ruling party would ensure continuity and strengthening of developmental efforts.
In their separate goodwill messages, APC stakeholders, including the member of House of Assembly, Kogi/KotonKarfe State Constituency, Hon Idrees Aliyu Maikudi, former Assembly member for Lokoja 1 state constituency, Hon Suleiman Babadoko and youth spokesman, Toba Ibrahim commended Senator Karimi for what they described as his exceptional achievements within the short period of time.
Hon Babadoko described Karimi as the best performing senator in Kogi West history.
Karimi who expressed appreciation for the constituents for voting for him during the May APC senatorial primary election and their large turnout at Monday’s town hall. He called for more support for the APC and candidates “from top to bottom” in the upcoming eletions. He however admonished the constituents that top on priorities is their continued support for President Tinubu and his reelection in 2027.
According to him Tinubu had given so much to the people of Kogi State in particular and Nigerians in general, since the advent of his administration in the last three years.
“I want to thank God that He has kept us alive despite all the challenges. I want to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the great job he is doing in Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole. President Tinubu has favoured more in Kogi State (in terms of appointments of indigenes of the state to key federal positions and increase in monthly allocation from the federation account).
“In the history of Nigeria, no president has released more funds to the states and local governments than president Tinubu. Using Kogi State as an example, each local government will get an average of N500m per month. States who were unable to pay salaries are now paying. It means Nigeria is working under this administration, and a lot of projects are ongoing all over the federation. So, President Tinubu deserves our continued support. Are we not going to continue to support him? On my part, do you need another senator?
Spontaneously, the visibly elated crowd gathered in the overflowing 3000 capacity Kay-Galaxy Event Centre, Lokoja, erupted in the loyalty chant associated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his political base—”On Your Mandate We Shall Stand”.
Monday’s Lokoja event drew the curtain on the month-long, three-pronged, successful Kogi West Senatorial District Town Halls–arguably the most visible, and sustained crowd pulling political engagements witnessed before and since the official commencement of campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections in Kogi State.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, AUGUST 25TH 2026)
