By joshua Reasons Kogi West Wants Sen. Sunday Karimi Back: ‘His Impact Speaks, Not Promises’
Abu Micheal
Across Kogi West, from the riverine communities of Kogi LGA to the hills of Yagba West, one name keeps coming up in conversations about representation: Senator Sunday Steve Karimi. For many constituents, his four years in the 10th Senate have reset the standard for what a federal lawmaker should deliver since the return of democracy in 1999. That track record, they say, is fueling a grassroots push for his return in 2027.
Karimi chairs the Senate Committee on Services and sits on key panels including Finance, Appropriations, Petroleum Upstream, and Banking. He has sponsored 15 bills and co-sponsored several others, with a focus on governance, accountability, and economic stability.
His CBN Act Amendment Bill, 2023, which passed second reading, seeks to stop the CBN Governor and deputies from partisan politics, criminalize domestic use of foreign currency, and restructure the bank’s board. Another bill proposes a new revenue-sharing formula to give the Federal Government more resources for decaying federal roads and insecurity. He also championed agricultural reform legislation aimed at shielding farmers from losses caused by factors beyond their control.
In the oil sector, Karimi moved a motion that triggered scrutiny of the N11.35 trillion reportedly spent on refinery maintenance between 2010 and 2024, demanding accountability from operators.
Beyond Abuja debates, Karimi’s footprint in Kogi West is physical. On security, he built and handed over a fully furnished military base in Egbe, Yagba West, and a Nigerian Army Forward Operating Base in Odo-Eri, said he spent over N750 million on the projects “out of love for my people.”
In education, he facilitated over N1.3 billion for the renovation of Government Science Secondary School, Koton Karfe, and intervened at Titcombe College, Egbe. For water access, he attracted 75 new solar-powered boreholes, rehabilitated 60 moribund schemes at N1.24 billion, and repaired 140+ boreholes across the district.
Power and light followed, with transformers and solar streetlights delivered to more than 500 communities. Road construction worth over N2 billion is ongoing in several areas. He also built a cottage hospital in Edoo, Lokoja LGA, and released ₦100 million to women’s cooperative groups to support small businesses.
Musa Ibrahim, Koton Karfe: “GSSS Koton Karfe was abandoned before. Now our children learn in classrooms we can be proud of. That’s the kind of representation we need to continue.”
Mrs. Grace Ojo, Egbe: “The Egbe military base changed things for us. Markets that were empty now open late. Karimi didn’t just talk security, he built it.”
Comrade Dele Ajibade, Kabba-Bunu: “He asks the hard questions in the Senate, especially on CBN and oil waste. That courage matters to ordinary Nigerians.”
Hajia Fatima Sule, Lokoja: “Our borehole died years ago. Karimi’s team came, fixed it, and moved to 60 others. Water changed everything for us.”
Pastor Joseph Alabi, Mopamuro: “Transformers, streetlights, youth jobs, women’s support – every ward has something. Since 1999, no one has reached this far. Why change what’s working?”
Traditional rulers praise his accessibility, youths point to federal appointments he facilitated, and women highlight the cooperative funding. The pattern is the same from Kogi LGA to Kabba-Bunu to Yagba West: projects on ground, not on paper.
For many in Kogi West, Karimi has redefined representation by matching legislative work with physical projects. As 2027 approaches, the message from the district is simple: performance deserves reward. Continuity, they argue, is not loyalty to a person, but a strategy to finish what has started.
Senator Sunday Karimi, his constituents insist, has earned a second term through impact you can see.