2027: Kogi East APC Stakeholders Back Tinubu, Ododo, Demand Power Rotation

• Say East will no longer be appendage to any political bloc

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Ahead of the 2027 general election, critical stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi East Senatorial District have declared their total support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, while demanding a fresh and equitable framework for political power rotation in Kogi State.

The stakeholders, who spoke through a communiqué issued at the end of their Strategic Leadership Conference in Abuja and made available to THISDAY on Saturday, said Kogi East would no longer accept a political arrangement that relegated the senatorial district to the status of an appendage of another political bloc.

They also called for direct negotiations with political stakeholders from Kogi Central and Kogi West on what they described as “distinct, transparent and equitable” terms to establish a predictable framework for power transition and inclusive development in the state.

The stakeholders said their immediate priority was to ensure victory for the APC in the January/February 2027 general election, particularly the re-election of Tinubu and the victory of all APC candidates contesting National and State Assembly seats.

They further pledged to mobilise support for Governor Ododo’s re-election for a second term in the November 2027 governorship election.

According to them, the political objective was not merely to win elections but to reposition Kogi East within the mainstream of state and national politics and secure what they described as the “deserved share of development” for the district.

The communiqué noted that Kogi East had recorded the highest bloc vote for President Tinubu among the three senatorial districts of Kogi State in the 2023 presidential election, stressing that the district was prepared to increase its contribution to the APC in 2027.

He said: “We look forward to increasing our electoral contributions to the APC and to strengthening our collaboration with our fellow compatriots from Kogi Central and Kogi West Senatorial Districts to return power to Kogi East.

“However, we are resolved to mobilise total support for the incumbent governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and his re-election for his second term come

 2027.”

The declaration came against the backdrop of what the stakeholders described as more than a decade of political fractures, disaffection and missed opportunities in Kogi State following the 2015 governorship election and the death of the late former governor, Prince Abubakar Audu.

They said attempts to achieve political realignment in 2019 and 2023 were not sustained, leaving ordinary citizens of Kogi East to bear the consequences of prolonged political disagreements.

The stakeholders insisted that the time had come to heal the wounds, rebuild trust among the three senatorial districts and establish a new political understanding based on equity, inclusion and mutual respect.

They said: “We refuse to allow old wounds to permanently damage the deep historical linkages between the people of the various sections of Kogi State.

“Our only path to reawaken the political strength of Kogi East is to encourage healthy collaboration with the other sections of the state and negotiate truthfully for all that our people deserve.

“We reject any attempt to make Kogi East an appendage of any group in the state.”

The stakeholders invoked the political legacy of Prince Audu, saying his philosophy was anchored on statewide unity, inclusion, dialogue and equitable distribution of development.

They recalled that during Audu’s administration, major projects were conceived and executed across the three senatorial districts, including the establishment of the state university in Anyigba and the Obajana Cement Project, as well as roads and other civic infrastructure.

They argued that the late governor’s political philosophy should be revived as the foundation for a new era of cooperation in Kogi State.

“That is the true political philosophy we must revive today: vision, selflessness, courage, fraternity, equity and shared purpose,” the communiqué stated.

The stakeholders also demanded an immediate shift towards a predictable political transition arrangement, arguing that sustainable development could not be achieved where political succession remained a source of tension.

According to them, “We assemble here today to lay a solid foundation for Kogi East to be part of a realistic, predictable and harmonious political transition in Kogi State.

“We call for an immediate shift towards building consensus, renegotiating power transfer and rotation, and establishing an inclusive, development-driven agenda that guarantees equitable access to the instruments of power.”

The group also sought national recognition for Audu, describing him as a statesman whose contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development should not be confined to his final years in politics.

It urged the Kogi State Government to present Audu’s contributions to the Federal Government for a “highly merited and long-overdue national honour”.

The stakeholders cited the 10th anniversary commemorative events held in Lokoja in October 2025, which brought together national political leaders, traditional rulers and former governors, as evidence of the late governor’s enduring national stature.

They also noted the naming of a major boulevard in Lokoja after Audu by Governor Ododo and the unveiling of the Prince Abubakar Audu Leadership Foundation by the representative of President Tinubu at the anniversary events.

The stakeholders called for the foundation to operate as a nationwide, non-partisan platform for preserving Audu’s memory and promoting his leadership philosophy.

They argued that restricting his legacy to one election cycle or the final period of his political career would amount to historical injustice.

“Prince Audu belonged to multiple eras of Nigeria’s democratic development, from his early public service to his trailblazing leadership as the first and second civilian executive governor.

He must be remembered as a statesman,” they said.

In their resolutions, the stakeholders pledged to unify APC grassroots structures across the nine local government areas of Kogi East behind Tinubu and all APC legislative candidates in the 2027 elections.

They also committed themselves to dialogue with political leaders in Kogi Central and Kogi West, stressing that such engagement must be conducted on mutually acceptable and equitable terms.

The stakeholders further resolved to align with the state government to promote peace, inclusivity and accelerated development across Kogi East.

They called on party leaders, youth leaders, elders and other members of the late Audu’s political family to put past grievances aside and work towards a united political front.

“Our goal is to reintegrate Kogi East into the mainstream of politics in Kogi State and the nation on terms that will assure us of our deserved share of development,” they declared.