The Karimi 2.0 Group has strongly dismissed the communiqué issued after the so-called Kogi West APC Stakeholders’ Strategic Alignment Meeting held in Lokoja, describing the gathering as a congregation of self-appointed political actors seeking to undermine democracy and impose predetermined candidates on the people of Kogi West Senatorial District.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the group said the communiqué was a product of desperation by individuals allegedly threatened by the growing popularity and grassroots acceptance of Distinguished Senator Sunday Steve Karimi ahead of the 2027 political contest.
According to the group, no gathering of “self-appointed stakeholders” has the constitutional or moral authority to decide the political future of Kogi West or arrogate to itself the powers reserved for party members and the electorate.
“The people of Kogi West are not political slaves to be dictated to by a few power brokers hiding under the name of stakeholders,” the statement said.
The group alleged that the meeting was held at the residence of a top official of the Kogi State Government where intimidation and threats were allegedly freely issued against perceived political opponents.
“Threats have no place in democracy. Democracy thrives on participation, consultation, competition, and the free choice of the people — not intimidation and manufactured endorsements,” the statement added.
The Karimi 2.0 Group maintained that the APC remains a democratic party governed by due process and constitutional procedures, insisting that no endorsement arrangement outside the party’s official processes can substitute for the will of the people.
Defending Senator Sunday Steve Karimi’s growing political strength in Kogi West, the group said his widespread acceptance was built on purposeful representation, visible constituency projects, empowerment programmes, educational interventions, and consistent grassroots engagement across the seven local government areas of the senatorial district.
“The acceptance of Senator Sunday Steve Karimi lives in the minds of the thousands of people who have benefitted from his purposeful representation. No amount of gang-up or scripted communiqués can erase the relationship between the Senator and the people,” the group stated.
The group further accused promoters of the communiqué of attempting to circumvent internal democracy through what it described as “a carefully arranged political script designed to intimidate aspirants and manipulate the political space ahead of 2027.”
It insisted that only the people of Kogi West would determine who represents them at the Red Chambers from 2027, stressing that political offices are not inherited through closed-door meetings or endorsements orchestrated by a handful of individuals.
While calling on its supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, the Karimi 2.0 Group expressed confidence that the will of the people would ultimately prevail.
“We urge our members and supporters across Kogi West to remain peaceful, focused, and law-abiding. The people know those who truly stand with them, and when the time comes, their voices will be heard loud and clear,” the statement concluded.
