The political appointees from Lokoja Local Government Area have pledged to mobilize support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo, and all All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The resolution was reached on Wednesday during a strategic meeting convened by the Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya MD Farouk.
The meeting was attended by special advisers, senior special assistants, directors-general, and chairmen and members of boards and commissions from Lokoja LGA.
Addressing the gathering, Farouk stressed the need for unity and cohesion within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said following the APC’s victory in Lokoja in the 2023 elections and the conclusion of post-election litigations, the major challenge facing the party in the LGA was managing internal dynamics rather than opposition from other parties.
Farouk also said most opposition party members in Lokoja had defected to the APC, adding that the development had strengthened the party’s chances of securing a bigger victory in 2027.
‘We won Lokoja in 2023 when we were not appointees. The opportunity to serve is a privilege, and the reward for that privilege must be more votes for the APC,’ the commissioner said.
He urged aggrieved party members to embrace forgiveness and work together, while calling on appointees to engage their constituencies and build support for the party.
The commissioner challenged the LGA to double the votes secured by the APC in 2023 and lead in voter turnout during the forthcoming local government elections.
He said achieving the target would strengthen Governor Ododo’s re-election bid.
‘We want Lokoja LGA to lead in the conduct of the LG elections, deliver President Tinubu and all APC candidates, and make the governorship election for Gov. Ododo a seamless win,’ he stated. ‘The challenge for us in the APC is how to double the votes. Our strategy must improve on what we used in 2023.’
Farouk also appealed to members to contribute to party funding and mobilization, announcing that meetings of Lokoja appointees would be held regularly until after the January 2027 elections.
He described Lokoja as ‘a no-go area for any opposition political party.’
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Kogi State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (KOSOPADEC), Hon. Suleiman Ndalaye Abdullahi, said the appointment of Lokoja indigenes by Governor Ododo had placed a responsibility on them to work together.
‘We are appointees because Gov. Ododo is Governor. Lokoja is fortunate because of its diversity. We must see that as an advantage and our strength,’ he said. ‘If we work in unity, winning Lokoja will be seamless. We must begin to preach the many reasons why the APC should win for Tinubu and Ododo with a landslide.’
Other speakers, including Alhaji Attai Bozy, Bala Justice, Hajia Fatima Allahdey, and Abdulazeez Otaru, pledged to mobilize support for the APC in the local government and 2027 general elections.
Members also used the interactive session to discuss challenges and strategies for securing victory for the APC.
The meeting featured the inauguration of a five-member strategy and funding committee chaired by Hon. Amami Galadima, Member, Governing Council, College of Education, Ankpa.
The committee was tasked with developing mobilization strategies and funding modalities for the APC campaign in Lokoja LGA.
Dignitaries at the meeting included Hon. Abdulrahman Dangana, Speaker of the 4th Assembly; Hon. Shiru Lawal; Hon. Kassim Isiyaku; and other APC stakeholders and appointees of Governor Ododo from Lokoja.
The appointees said improved strategy, unity, and grassroots engagement would enable Lokoja LGA to deliver the highest number of votes for the APC in Kogi State in 2027.