Yesterday, a large crowd of Kogi Central Senatorial District residents showed their support for Usman Ododo, the All Progressives Congress' (APC) nominee for governor.Additionally, they ruled that opposition parties would not be allowed to campaign in the district on November 11 for the governorship.
Speaking at the event were a few indigenous people and locals who mentioned that, in the state's history of electioneering, such a large turnout in support of the APC and its candidate had never been seen at Agassa Junction, Okene.
They see the historic turnout as proof that Kogi Central will support the ruling party in the election, which the state governor has emphasized will be free, fair, and peaceful, in unison.
Speaking at the gathering, a number of speakers emphasized that the large attendance was a sign of the APC's impending triumph.
The Minister of Steel Development and Director General of the Kogi State APC Governorship Campaign Council, Shaibu Abubakar Audu, addressed the enthusiastic supporters, who were primarily Ebira natives, stating, "This crowd gathered here today is unprecedented in the political history of Kogi State." Without sugarcoating it, this is a game changer and the last straw for the opposing political parties in my years of monitoring State politics.
This throng has been drawn by Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo's vision, which calls for an agricultural revolution throughout the State, with large-scale crop production occurring throughout the senatorial area. Not an ethnic agenda, but a Kogi agenda is what we are here to achieve. The next administration will significantly expand on Governor Yahaya Bello's legacy by giving the populace more power and infrastructure.
"Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government is keen to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. He has requested that an industrial park be established in Ajaokuta. In order to designate Ajaokuta as a free trade zone, the President is also interested in seeing to it that the free trade agreement throughout Nigeria is reviewed.
After it is finished, 500,000 direct and indirect jobs will be produced for our burgeoning youth population. Because of this, the President has expressed alarm and stated that it is not acceptable to entrust a vital State like Kogi State to an adversarial opposition group. Kogi State will continue to be an APC state, he said.
Mohammed Jamiu Asuku, the governor's chief of staff, stated in his remarks that the large number of witnesses from Kogi Central attested to Governor Bello's outstanding accomplishments.
The enormous turnout attests to the fact that Governor Yahaya Bello has done more than enough for the state's citizens. The enormous turnout attests to the fact that the APC has selected a worthy candidate. Based on today's turnout, the people of Kogi Central have decided to vote in large numbers for Salifu Joel and Ododo," he stated.
Hajia Halima Alfa, a significant player in the Kogi East Senatorial District, praised Governor Bello for offering the State a fresh perspective on politics and called the governor a revered prophet in her own country.
"In the entire time I have been involved in politics, since I began going to rallies in 1999, I have never seen a throng like this in Kogi State. Undoubtedly, Kogi Central is APC. When November 11th rolls around, history will undoubtedly be made because the district will lead the APC in votes cast, she said.
Insisting that there was no space in Lugard House for opposition parties, Mohamed Idris, the son of former Kogi State Governor Ibrahim Idris, publicly endorsed the APC candidate and urged the people of Kogi Central and the State at large to follow the man and party that knows the road.
Visibly thrilled by the historic turnout, Governor Bello characterized the sea of heads at the event and the acceptance shown as a sign of love and gratitude for the APC and the accomplishments the party has made under his leadership.
In addition to expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for his outstanding leadership and unwavering support for Kogi State, he predicted that the state's party would surprise everyone by winning the upcoming election with a landslide.
"As an administration, we have tried our best to bring the people together," he declared. Upon taking office, we saw fault lines pertaining to injustice, ethnicity, and divisiveness. However, all the divisions have been repaired, and Kogi State is now a single entity.
"We have produced jobs. We constructed infrastructure. We gave our youth and women more power than ever before. Justice, equity, and fairness are now our top priorities.
We are leaving Kogi State in a better state than when we arrived for the new administration, I can promise you of that. Alhaji Ododo possesses skill. He is the epitome of expertise. Let's help him to continue the legacy we have established.
Bello gave the populace assurances that the elections would take place without bloodshed, emphasizing that the APC candidate for governor would not be advancing ethnic agendas or learning on the job; rather, he would go straight to work and produce tangible outcomes that would build on the accomplishments of his administration.
He urged security services to keep up the excellent work they had been doing in the state and to crack down on lawbreakers prior to, during, and following the elections.
Usman Ododo, the APC's candidate for governor, stated that he was confident Kogi would stay an APC state following the election on November 11.
"I'll keep carrying out our party's mandate for Kogi State's development and the welfare of our wonderful people. We sincerely intend to fulfill the desires and goals of our people. Under Governor Bello, my mentor, we have been doing that, and we will keep doing so, he declared.
The rally's high point was the large number of SDP, PDP, and other political party members that switched to the APC.