By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Towards the November 11 election in Kogi state, the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, on Saturday, trooped out massively to declare their total support for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Usman Ododo.
Addressing the excited supporters, mainly Ebira indigenes in Okene, the Minister of Steel Development and Director General, Kogi State APC Governorship Campaign Council, Shaibu Abubakar Audu, said “In my years of following the politics of Kogi State, without mincing words, this is a game changer, a final nail on the aspiration of the opposition political parties in the State.”
“The vision of Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo which has attracted this crowd is to provide agricultural revolution across the State, with massive crops production across the senatorial district.The incoming administration will build on the legacies of Governor Yahaya Bello.”
“The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is interested in the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. He has asked that Ajaokuta be declared an industrial park.”
“The President is also interested in ensuring that the free trade scheme across Nigeria is reviewed so that Ajaokuta can be declared a free trade zone.”
“Once that is done, it would create massive jobs; 500,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created for our teeming youths. This is the reason the President is concerned and has said we cannot afford to outsource a critical State like Kogi State.”
One of the key stakeholders of Kogi East Senatorial District, Hajia Halima Alfa, commended Governor Yahaya Bello for bringing a new dimension of politics to the State, and described the Governor as a prophet well respected at home.
“I have never seen this kind of crowd in Kogi State in my entire political life, since I started attending rallies in 1999. Kogi Central is no doubt APC. History will no doubt be made come November 11, as the district will produce the highest vote for the APC,” she declared.
Governor Yahaya Bello, who was visibly elated by the unprecedented turnout, described the sea of heads at the rally and the acceptance displayed as a show of love for the APC and appreciation of the party’s achievements under his watch.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his quality leadership, and for his unflinching support for Kogi State, adding that the party in the State would not disappoint the President and would win, landslide, in the coming election.
He said, “This unprecedented crowd is an indication that the APC has won. We have no opposition in Kogi Central and in Kogi State. We did it before, we will do it again come November 11. As an administration, we have done our best by uniting the people of the State.”
“We have created employment. We built infrastructure. We empowered our women and youth like never before under any administration in the State since creation. We have made fairness, equity, justice our priority.”
He assured the people that the elections would be violence-free, noting that the APC Governorship Candidate is not coming to learn on the job or to promote ethnic agenda.
The APC Governorship Candidate, Usman Ododo, expressed the confidence that Kogi would remain an APC State after the November 11 governorship election.
“I will continue to deliver on the mandate of our party for the development of Kogi State and the wellbeing of our good people. We’ll meet the yearnings and aspirations of our people.”
