By joshua ‘Spent and Ready to Be More Spent’: How Sen. Sunday Karimi Became Kogi West’s Unshakable Grassroots Standard-Bearer
By Our Reporter
“When God moves in the direction of a man, his foes will strike hard to bring him down. But the more they do, the higher his popularity rises, until he becomes the toast of the majority.”
That is the political reality defining Senator Sunday Karimi, APC, Kogi West, as he begins another chapter of representation after emerging victorious at the party’s just-concluded Senatorial District Primary.
To constituents from Lokoja to Mopamuro, Kabba to Yagba, the verdict is clear: Karimi is a legislator who has reaffirmed his commitment to service with zeal, purpose, and results that grassroots communities say they are not ready to trade.
Sen. Karimi says legislative business and attracting dividends to Kogi West remain “non-negotiable.”
“I want to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to the people of Kogi West Senatorial District and to the service of our great nation, Nigeria. I promise to remain focused on effective representation, people-centred legislation, and strong oversight that will promote good governance, sustainable development, and a better quality of life for our people, especially the average Kogi Westerner,” he stated.
“Together, we will continue to work with unity, purpose, and Renewed Hope for a stronger, better, and more prosperous Kogi West in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He describes his tenure so far as “a tip of the iceberg,” insisting that the next term will be more rewarding, with lessons learned and human errors corrected.
Across the seven local government areas of Kogi West, stakeholders point to a body of work that has cut across multiple sectors of life in the district. In infrastructure and rural development, he prioritized constituency intervention projects that opened rural communities, improved access roads, and reduced travel burdens for farmers and traders, while advocating for federal attention to critical road corridors linking the district to markets and services. In education and human capital, he facilitated scholarships, bursaries, and learning support for indigent students, supported the rehabilitation and equipping of schools, and pushed for greater federal presence in tertiary education access for Kogi West youths.
In health and social welfare, he championed primary healthcare interventions, including the provision of medical equipment and outreach programmes to underserved communities, and mobilized support for vulnerable groups, women, and persons living with disabilities. For youths and women, he drove skills acquisition, ICT training, and small business support initiatives, and created platforms for young professionals and entrepreneurs to access federal empowerment schemes. In agriculture and economic livelihoods, he linked farming communities to agricultural inputs, training, and market access programmes, and backed initiatives to boost food security in the agrarian belt of Yagba, Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu, and Mopamuro.
On the legislative floor, he sponsored and co-sponsored people-centred bills and motions aimed at improving governance, security, and accountability, while engaging robust oversight of federal agencies to ensure Kogi West benefits from national programmes and budgets. He also consistently made appeals for unity among political stakeholders, traditional institutions, and community leaders, and strengthened APC dominance in Kogi West through grassroots mobilization, with party leaders noting that the district has no serious rival opposition when the house is united.
Political observers note that Sen. Karimi’s trajectory is uncommon. As a two-term member of the House of Representatives for Yagba Federal Constituency, he set representation records that remain unbroken in the area’s history. His transition to the Senate broke another jinx in Kogi West, positioning him as a bridge between the grassroots and national power. Very unassuming, soft-spoken, but with an immeasurable passion for his people, Karimi’s greatest political asset, aides say, is his grassroots appeal. It was that base that delivered his primary victory, which constituents describe as “the product of a man sold out to passionately serve his people.”
Sen. Karimi says the mandate is not about personal acclaim, but service. With APC firmly dominant in Kogi West and the grassroots remaining his mainstay, he argues that unity and focus will deliver a landslide for the party in 2027. “The people are the reason for representation,” he said. “What we have done is just the beginning. The next term will consolidate the gains and correct the gaps.”
For Kogi West, the message from the towns, wards, and villages is consistent: a legislator who is spent, and ready to be more spent for his people. And in a season when foes strike hard, the district says its choice is already settled.