(DOCUMENT) Egbe Traditional Leaders Challenge Karimi to Produce Evidence, Vindicate Abejide Over Community Dispute
Traditional rulers say no credible evidence supports allegations against them; disclose Abejide’s role in securing their release and facilitating reconciliation with Senator Karimi
By J.O. Abel-Ontop
Traditional rulers from Egbe and parts of Yagba West have challenged Senator Sunday Karimi to provide evidence to substantiate allegations that some traditional rulers in his community attempted to remove a paramount ruler from office or colluded with political actors to mislead government authorities.
The traditional leaders, in a jointly signed response to recent comments attributed to the senator, also sought clarification on claims allegedly linking them to efforts to undermine his political career, while stressing the need for dialogue and respect for traditional institutions in resolving disagreements.
The response came against the backdrop of remarks reportedly made by Senator Karimi during a visit to Isanlu on Sunday, August 2, 2026, in which he spoke about political challenges surrounding his representation of Kogi West and his relationship with some traditional rulers.
Karimi was reported to have alleged that certain traditional chiefs, allegedly backed by the member representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide, provided Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo with misleading information in connection with a dispute involving traditional rulers.
The senator was also reported to have linked the matter to wider political developments concerning his return to the Senate and alleged efforts to prevent him from securing the APC ticket for the 2027 election.
However, the traditional rulers, in their official response, rejected the allegations and asked the senator to produce documentary or official evidence supporting the claims.
Traditional Rulers Demand Evidence
The traditional leaders said they had initially refrained from responding to earlier comments in the interest of maintaining peace, mutual respect and the dignity of the traditional institution.
They said the latest allegations were sufficiently significant to require clarification, particularly claims that some traditional rulers had sought to remove a paramount ruler and had acted in concert with political figures to deceive or scam government authorities.
According to them, such allegations are serious and should not be made without verifiable evidence.
They therefore challenged Senator Karimi to disclose whether there were petitions, resolutions, official communications, documents, investigations or findings by any competent authority capable of supporting the allegations.
The traditional rulers argued that providing such evidence would help ensure that public discourse was based on facts rather than what they described as unfounded speculation.
They further appealed for disagreements within communities to be resolved through dialogue and due process, rather than public statements capable of deepening existing divisions.
Abejide’s Role in the Dispute
The controversy has also brought renewed attention to the role played by Leke Abejide in efforts to resolve the disagreement between Senator Karimi and some traditional rulers.
According to the account provided in defence of Abejide, the lawmaker became involved after learning that some traditional rulers had been arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The account claims Abejide intervened through notable individuals to facilitate their release and expressed concern over the detention of the traditional rulers.
It further stated that in December 2025, Abejide convened a Yagba stakeholders’ meeting and security summit involving political office holders, community leaders and traditional rulers.
The organisers said the initiative was intended to address security and other challenges confronting communities in Yagba.
They alleged that Senator Karimi did not attend the meeting despite being invited.
The account also maintained that Abejide subsequently participated in efforts to reconcile the senator and the traditional rulers, with a reconciliation meeting eventually taking place in Abuja.
The traditional rulers’ statement corroborates the existence of reconciliation efforts involving Abejide and other stakeholders.
It specifically disclosed that both Rt. Hon. James Faleke and Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide had invited the traditional rulers to Abuja to resolve the misunderstanding, while Governor Ododo also invited the parties to the Government House for mediation.
The statement added that the senator was present at the meetings and that both the members of the House of Representatives and the governor advised him to bring his people together and resolve the dispute.
According to the traditional rulers, Governor Ododo further offered to assist Senator Karimi in achieving a positive resolution.
Traditional rulers caution Karimi over public statements
The traditional rulers described traditional institutions as important pillars of unity, stability and development within their communities.
They therefore urged public office holders to exercise caution when making statements concerning traditional rulers, saying such comments could affect public confidence and community cohesion.
They also acknowledged Senator Karimi’s status as a prominent political leader from Egbe and one of the highest-ranking elected public office holders from the community.
Rather than escalating the dispute, however, they appealed to him to use his influence to promote unity and strengthen confidence in traditional institutions.
The traditional rulers said their commitment remained the peace, unity and development of Egbe, Yagba West and Kogi State.
The statement was signed by HRH Oba Victor Rotimi Dada, Emla of Ilemia; HRH Oba Adedoyin Bolaji, Ighare of Okoa; HRH Oba Ore Abolade, Ighare of Ijagan; HRH Oba Babalola Odofin, Odofin of Ido-Egbe; HRH Oba Duro Kekere Awo, Oba of Opada; and Chief Dare Folorunsho, Ologun of Iloko.
Abejide Rejects Allegation of Political Interference
Meanwhile, supporters of Leke Abejide have dismissed the allegations linking the federal lawmaker to Senator Karimi’s political difficulties as politically motivated.
The Likeminds Alliance Pressure Group, in a statement signed by its secretary, argued that Abejide had no reason to interfere in the senator’s political ambition because he had not declared interest in contesting the Kogi West Senatorial seat.
The group maintained that Abejide had remained focused on his mandate as member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives despite pressure from supporters to seek the Senate seat.
It further claimed that Abejide had supported Karimi during the 2023 senatorial election, particularly in mobilising support in Yagba East.
The group also rejected suggestions that Abejide was responsible for the senator’s political challenges or controversies surrounding his bid to return to the Senate.
According to the statement, “Leke has not for once contested for the Senate seat,” adding that attempts to link him to the senator’s political difficulties amounted to shifting responsibility.
‘Why blame Abejide?’
The group questioned why Abejide had repeatedly been mentioned in disputes involving Senator Karimi when, according to it, the two politicians were not direct opponents in the senatorial contest.
It also alleged that tensions between the two politicians predated the current controversy, recalling an earlier disagreement surrounding an intended chieftaincy conferment on Abejide in Egbe.
The group further rejected claims of an alleged attempt by Abejide to create a rift between the lawmaker and Governor Ododo.
It urged Senator Karimi to take responsibility for his political decisions and avoid attributing every disagreement within Yagba and Kogi West to Abejide.
Karimi Seeks Reconciliation Amid Political Tensions
Despite the sharp exchanges, Senator Karimi has reportedly expressed willingness to pursue reconciliation.
His remarks in Isanlu were largely centred on his account of the challenges confronting him ahead of the 2027 political season and his disagreement with some traditional rulers over attempts to remove a traditional ruler in his community.
Karimi maintained that his position was based on his opposition to what he regarded as an attempt to remove a traditional ruler and said the dispute had subsequently become intertwined with wider political developments.
He alleged that the matter had reached the Presidency and the national leadership of the APC, with the intention of frustrating his return to the Senate.
The senator also referred to a legal dispute involving Samuel Bamidele Aro and said he was spending millions of naira defending the case, while expressing confidence that he would ultimately prevail.
He nevertheless reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC and said he remained open to genuine reconciliation.
Political Dispute Takes a Broader Dimension
The latest development highlights the increasingly complicated relationship between political interests, traditional institutions and community leadership in Kogi West ahead of the 2027 elections.
While Senator Karimi has presented himself as a defender of traditional institutions against alleged attempts to remove traditional rulers, the traditional leaders have now publicly challenged him to produce evidence for the allegations against them.
At the same time, Abejide’s supporters have pointed to his reported involvement in securing the release of detained traditional rulers and subsequent reconciliation efforts as evidence that he acted as a mediator rather than an instigator of the dispute.
The traditional rulers’ own account that Abejide, alongside James Faleke and Governor Ododo, participated in efforts to resolve the disagreement provides an important dimension to the controversy.
For now, the central question remains whether the allegations made against the traditional rulers and the individuals allegedly backing them can be substantiated with official records or other verifiable evidence.
With the 2027 political season approaching, stakeholders in Yagba and Kogi West may face increasing pressure to separate political disagreements from traditional institutions and community relations, particularly in an environment where allegations and counter-allegations can easily deepen existing divisions.
The traditional rulers, however, have made their position clear: they want evidence for the allegations, respect for traditional institutions and a return to dialogue as the preferred route to resolving the dispute.