Traditional rulers in Okunland must refrain from allowing themselves to be used as agents of the destabilisation and destruction of their homeland. They should borrow a leaf from the maturity and impartiality of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Anaje, who recently told the candidate of a political party who sought his support against his closest opponents, that the traditional stool demands that royals are fathers to all, not partial to some. This is the admonition of the Movement for the Emancipation of Kogi State, (MEKSTA), against the backdrop of alleged efforts by the Kogi State Government, to instigate traditional rulers in Okunland, to cause political disaffection amongst their people.
Information at the disposal of MEKSTA, purports that ahead of the formal publication of the names of candidates for national assembly positions by the All Progressives Congress, (APC), tendencies opposed to the unification of Kogi West for the 2027 general elections remain unrelenting. The Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has reportedly convened a meeting of traditional rulers from the six Okun-speaking local government areas in the district, to Lokoja the state capital for Thursday June 25, 2026 and Friday June 26, 2026.
MEKSTA has learnt on good authority, that the Obaro of Kabba who is the Chairman of the Okun Traditional Council, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi, has been requested to rally his colleague royals to the said meeting, to disseminate falsehoods about the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Steve Karimi. The agenda is to ride on a video recording reportedly sponsored by the state government, where some renegade chiefs from Egbe, in Yagba West council area, home of Senator Karimi, made spurious allegations against him.
This is a continuation of previous attempts by Ododo, to prop up Samuel Bamidele Aro his protege, also from Yagba West as alternative to Karimi in the march towards 2027. Aro, a reluctant aspirant, prodded by Ododo and his loyalists, withdrew his senatorial ambition in writing, ahead of the primary held May 18, 2026, and pledged support for Karimi. Thereafter, however, he has been fingered in the forgery and falsification of the results of a primary election in which he did not participate, seeking to reflect his name as winner.
MEKSTA is dismayed that rather than consciously wield the people of Kogi West together against the backdrop of prevailing fear and despair arising from the nefarious activities of bandits, kidnappers and murderers, and inspire confidence and hope in them, the state government continues to pursue needless diversion and division. After the visit of Governor Ododo to Kabba-Bunu council area following the recent attempted mass kidnapping of students and teachers, Yagba West has been traumatised in what has been normalised as a pattern. At a time like this, the people need the empathy of the state and the rekindling of their confidence to keep them through the trying times, and not the wilful orchestration of discord and disunity amongst them.
MEKSTA wishes to restate that the generality of the people of Kogi West admire and respect Senator Karimi for the selflessness and humaneness which has characterised his representational style. He is accessible, pragmatic, effective and relatable. He has demonstrably and profoundly impacted Kogi West in his three years in the Senate, such that over 51,000 members of the APC queued in their respective units across the 85 wards of the district to freely, willingly and unanimously renew his mandate to continue to represent the zone beyond 2027.
He is the choice of the APC in Kogi West to fly our banner in the 2027 general elections and no external influence can change that. Let’s be very clear: Any attempt to unsettle a beloved Senator Sunday Karimi who is entrenched in the hearts of the people of Kogi West, is an orchestrated ploy to put a knife through the heart of the APC in the zone. The repercussions will be devastating as it will deny the Okun-Yoruba speaking bloc of the multi-ethnic state the opportunity of reciprocating the positive gestures of President Bola Tinubu, towards the people and the area.
*SIGNED:*
1. Hon Obafemi Medaiyese (Yagba Federal Constituency constituency)
2. Comrade Joseph Mebatonije (Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency)
3. Alhaji Yusuf Kpareke (Lokoja/Kotonkarfe Federal Constituency)
4. Mallam Jimoh Ozovehe (Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency)
5. Dr Nurudeen Adaviriku (Okene/Ogori-Magongo)
6. Alhaji Isiaka Momoh (Ajaokuta Federal Constituency)
7. Chief Ojonimi Adegbe (Idah/Igalamela-Odolu/Ofu/Ibaji Federal Constituency)
8. Pastor Mark Onucheyo (Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency)
9. Bishop Husseini Saidu (Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro Federal Constituency)
