Karimi Receives Rousing Welcome in Lokoja/Koton Karfe Despite Alleged Restriction Order
By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
A mammoth crowd of supporters, party leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday defied an alleged directive restricting party executives from attending the Lokoja/Koton Karfe Federal Constituency Town Hall meeting organised by Senator Sunday Steven Karimi.
The town hall meeting, held in Lokoja, provided the Kogi West Senatorial District senator and APC flag bearer an opportunity to render an account of his stewardship, highlight his constituency interventions and seek the continued support of the people ahead of the 2027 general elections.
- Advertisement -
Despite the reported directive to some party executives across the two local government areas and wards not to attend the meeting, the venue was filled with supporters and stakeholders who turned out to listen to the senator.
An APC ward leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our reporter that some party officials were initially present at the meeting but were allegedly asked to leave.
“I saw the woman leader of our ward in this hall. She later told me she was leaving because I received an instruction through our WhatsApp platform that I should leave here immediately,” the ward leader said.
The allegation has raised concerns among party members about the consequences of internal control and political influence within the party, particularly as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
When Political Control Becomes Counterproductive
For Comrade Taiye Abraham, actions perceived as an attempt to prevent party members from associating with a serving senator and the party’s flag bearer could eventually create unnecessary divisions within the APC.
He warned that such conduct could create disaffection between party members and supporters of Senator Karimi, with possible consequences during future elections.
“Such actions will create disaffection among them and Karimi supporters in future elections,” Abraham said.
His position highlights one of the recurring challenges in Nigerian politics: the influence of political godfathers over party structures and candidates.
Political godfatherism, when it becomes excessive, can weaken internal democracy by placing personal loyalty above the collective interest of the party. Instead of allowing party members and voters to freely support candidates based on their performance and popularity, political structures can sometimes be used to dictate who attends meetings, who receives support and who is allowed to operate within the party.
The immediate advantage of political godfatherism may appear to be the ability to mobilise supporters and control party structures. However, when such influence is perceived as excessive or exclusionary, it can produce resentment among grassroots members.
Rather than strengthening a political party, it can create factions, encourage defections and deepen mistrust among party members.
More importantly, the electorate ultimately has the power to determine electoral outcomes. Political structures may influence party nominations, but they cannot permanently substitute for the goodwill of voters.
A candidate who enjoys strong grassroots support may survive attempts to undermine his political base, while a party that alienates its own supporters could discover during an election that internal divisions have become an electoral liability.
‘Why Restrict Party Officials?’
An APC chieftain, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Garba, said he could not understand the reason behind the alleged restriction.
“I don’t know the aims of these people. Karimi is like the President; he is the flag bearer of APC in Kogi West Senatorial District. Why are they restricting officials of the party from attending the senator’s town hall meetings?” he queried.
The development has therefore triggered debate over whether party leadership should be used to discourage members from attending political engagements organised by elected representatives.
Baba Ali: Town Hall Meeting Is For Accountability
In his opening remarks, APC leader and chieftain, His Excellency Alhaji Sulaiman Baba Ali, said the essence of the town hall meeting was to provide Senator Karimi with an opportunity to give an account of his stewardship to the people.
Baba Ali urged APC members to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates fielded by the party, stressing that members must remain committed to the party.
“We are party men. As party men, we will work for all the flag bearers of our party, from council chairman to the President,” he said.
He also urged residents of Lokoja/Koton Karfe Federal Constituency to participate actively in the forthcoming elections.
One of the major highlights of the gathering was the formal presentation of Senator Karimi to the mammoth crowd by Baba Ali.
Stakeholders Commend Karimi
In his goodwill message, former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulrahman Dangana, commended Karimi for his interventions, particularly those benefiting communities in Kupa.
He assured the senator of the people’s continued support.
Speaking on behalf of Kogi West youths, Hon. Toba Ibrahim urged young people across the senatorial district to support Karimi, while the member representing Kogi/Koton Karfe State Constituency, Hon. Maikudi, described the senator as a lawmaker whose performance justified the large turnout.
Maikudi said the APC remained their party and urged members to remain loyal, citing some of Karimi’s constituency projects, including the construction of an Islamic school in Griya.
He also cautioned party members against working against the interests of the APC.
Similarly, former member representing Lokoja I State Constituency, Alhaji Sulaiman Babadoko, described Karimi as the best senator Kogi West had produced.
“Senator Steven Sunday Karimi’s tenure is an eye-opener. We have witnessed previous senators, but none can be compared with the present senator,” Babadoko said.
A retired Permanent Secretary, S.A. Muhammed, also expressed support for the senator.
The Danger of Alienating Grassroots Supporters
A political analyst who spoke on the development said prolonged internal disagreement could push some members of the party towards the opposition.
This is particularly important in an electoral system where grassroots mobilisation remains crucial. Political godfathers can help build political structures, but excessive interference can also weaken those same structures when ordinary members begin to feel excluded.
When party members believe that their opinions no longer matter, loyalty can gradually give way to apathy, protest voting or defection.
An APC member from Kupa North, Alhaji Abdullah Nda, said attempts to undermine popular grassroots politicians could be counterproductive.
He described Senator Karimi and Alhaji Sulaiman Baba Ali as politicians with strong grassroots connections who had touched the lives of their people in different sectors.
“Fighting them at their bases is a waste of resources and time,” Nda said.
Karimi Highlights Constituency Projects
Responding, Senator Karimi thanked the people for their support during the APC primary election and commended President Tinubu for what he described as his efforts in providing employment opportunities and political appointments to people from Kogi West and Kogi State generally.
He said local government councils in Kogi State now receive an average of N500 million monthly from the Federation Account.
Karimi also highlighted some of his interventions in Lokoja and Koton Karfe.
He announced plans to commence the construction of industrial boreholes, saying the projects would be completed within one month and would help address persistent water shortages in Lokoja.
The senator disclosed that the renovation of Government Secondary School, Koton Karfe, had been completed and would soon be commissioned.
He further announced that N500 million had been provided for the Muslim Community Secondary School in Lokoja, with work expected to commence soon.
According to him, arrangements were also underway to award 3,000 scholarships to students across Kogi State.
“I am not tired of serving you. Therefore, vote for President Tinubu and your senator,” Karimi told the gathering.
The meeting also observed a minute of silence in honour of those who recently lost their lives in Kupa and the late Ijumu APC Local Government Area chairman.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Karimi reiterated his commitment to effective representation, saying his constituency interventions were aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of the people.
The 2027 Test
As the APC moves towards the 2027 elections, the party’s greatest challenge may not necessarily come from the opposition, but from its ability to manage its internal differences.
Political godfatherism becomes dangerous when personal influence is allowed to supersede party unity, internal democracy and the wishes of the electorate.
The lesson from many elections is that political structures can mobilise voters, but they cannot compel voters to remain loyal when they feel alienated.
For the APC in Kogi West, the mammoth turnout at the Lokoja/Koton Karfe town hall may therefore be more than an endorsement of Senator Karimi’s stewardship. It could also be a warning that grassroots political loyalty cannot simply be commanded from above.
If the party is to enter the 2027 election as a united force, its leaders may need to prioritise dialogue over confrontation, inclusion over exclusion and collective interest over individual political control.
Otherwise, actions intended to consolidate political power could inadvertently create the very disaffection that may undermine the party at the ballot box.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, AUGUST 24TH 2026)
