By| Ajuluchukwu Brown
The office of Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents the Kogi West Senatorial District and serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, has dismissed as false and misleading recent allegations suggesting a questionable business relationship between the senator and prominent businessman Chief Jide Omokore.
The claims were contained in a publication dated March 10, 2026, titled “The Fallacy of Sabotage: Setting the Record Straight on Kogi West 2027.” The report alleged that Senator Karimi maintains business ties with Chief Omokore and, by extension, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
In a response issued on Tuesday, Karimi’s media office described the allegations as “deceptive and a calculated attempt to distract from the senator’s achievements in office.”
According to the statement, the relationship between Senator Karimi and Chief Omokore spans more than five decades and is rooted in personal friendship rather than business dealings. The media office emphasized that their association predates Nigeria’s Fourth Republic and is based on long-standing personal ties.
The statement also addressed the political ambitions of Samuel Bamidele Aro, who is reportedly preparing to contest future elections in the district. It alleged that Aro faces legal and ethical questions arising from his involvement in the fuel subsidy scandal during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to the statement, by Busayo Tosin
Media Officer to Senator Sunday Karimi
Representing Kogi West Senatorial District
Chairman, Senate Committee on Services
Aro had previously admitted involvement in the subsidy controversy and made commitments to repay funds linked to the scandal, a development the media office said raises questions about his eligibility under the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The media office further described Aro as a “political opportunist” who has repeatedly sought elective office without what it called a consistent record of public service. It recalled that Aro’s attempt to secure a second term in the House of Representatives in 2011 was unsuccessful following an electoral contest with Karimi.
Karimi subsequently returned to the House of Representatives in 2015 and made history as the first representative from Kogi West to serve two consecutive terms. His tenure in the lower chamber, the statement said, paved the way for his election to the Senate in 2023.
Highlighting the senator’s achievements, the statement pointed to several development projects across Kogi West.
These include the reconstruction of Government Secondary School, Kotonkarfe, valued at N1.2 billion, and the establishment of an annual bursary scheme for indigent students across Kogi State, for which N300 million was recently committed.
Karimi has also partnered with alumni of Titcombe College, Egbe, his alma mater, to renovate the institution and construct a modern Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre approved by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
In response to security challenges in the region, the senator also funded and constructed a Forward Operating Base capable of accommodating 100 troops in Egbe, which was later handed over to the Nigerian Army.
The statement noted that the senator has also supported various community-based initiatives, including infrastructure rehabilitation, hospital construction and empowerment programmes across the seven local government areas of the senatorial district.
It added that billboards and posters bearing the message “Karimi L’ekan Si” — meaning “Karimi, one more time” — have appeared across parts of Kogi West, reflecting growing support from constituents ahead of future political contests.
The media office urged political actors to focus on issue-based engagement rather than what it described as baseless accusations.
“Political discourse should be anchored on evidence, ideas and proven records of service, rather than the recycling of unsubstantiated claims intended to inflame tensions,” the statement said.
It also called on Aro to clarify his political positioning amid allegations of maintaining ties across different political platforms while seeking support within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
