Critical stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from seven local government areas in Kogi West Senatorial District have urged Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, to refrain from politicising traditional institutions in the district.
The stakeholders, under the aegis of the Kogi West APC Leaders Forum (KWALF), made the call in a statement issued on Friday in Lokoja by the forum coordinator, Hon. Orebiyi Mathew.
According to the statement, coercing traditional rulers into partisan political activities could deepen divisions within communities, fuel communal unrest and heighten political tension across Kogi West. Politics
The forum claimed it had received information about a meeting allegedly convened to persuade traditional rulers from Kogi West to issue what it described as false and misleading statements against the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Kogi West Senatorial election, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi.
It alleged that the move was intended to mislead President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the general public.
KWALF maintained that traditional rulers are custodians of culture and symbols of unity who are expected to remain politically neutral and serve as father figures within their respective communities.
It argued that involving traditional rulers in partisan politics under any guise amounts to a desecration of the traditional institution in Kogi West and should not be tolerated.
The forum also urged Governor Ododo not to politicise the past communal misunderstandings involving traditional rulers in Yagba West, insisting that Senator Karimi had no involvement in the dispute or in the alleged detention of any traditional ruler, as claimed in some quarters.
The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt, it is pertinent to state clearly that Sen. Sunday Steve Karimi maintains a very good and beneficial relationship with the traditional institution in Yagba West under the leadership of the Elegbe of Egbe Oba Ayodele Erukera which has long been a pillar of community governance, conflict resolution, and social order, maintaining law and order at the grassroots level.
“The consistent trajectory of bias against Sen. Sunday Steve Karimi, Senator representing Kogi West by using the Kogi West Traditional Institutions is aimed at not only tarnishing his image before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the good and amiable people of Kogi West, but to frustrate his re-election bid to the Senate by portraying a situation that seeks to suggest he is in conflict with the traditional institution of Kogi West.
“These narratives are erroneous and mischievous and will not see the light of the day as the people of Kogi West are solidly behind the re-election bid of the Senator who has performed outstanding well and enjoys the overwhelming grassroots support from the people of Kogi West who are happy with him, having represented them well at the Senate, in view of the numerous people oriented projects, programs, bills and initiatives undertaken by the Senator that has impacted positively on their lives, bringing smiles upon their faces.
“The forum further appealed to the traditional institutions in Kogi West not to allow themselves to be used as transactional figures, losing the trust of their subjects and compromising their sacred neutrality”.
