The All Progressive Congress APC stakeholders in Lokoja local government area of Kogi state have endorsed Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for re-election in November 2027, insisting that the agitation for power rotation among the state’s three senatorial districts should not be used to deny the incumbent a second term.
APC leader in charge of Lokoja and
former speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam made the position known on Saturday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Lokoja, where he addressed journalists on behalf of critical stakeholders in the local government.
He said while the agitation for power rotation among Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi West was legitimate and deserved consideration in the interest of equity, fairness and peaceful coexistence, it should not override the constitutional rights of an incumbent governor seeking re-election.
According to him, stakeholders from different ethnic, political, age and gender groups had recently converged on Galaxy Event Centre, Lokoja, to deliberate on power rotation and its implications for political stability and equitable representation in the state.
He explained that participants at the summit had agreed that power rotation was a healthy consensus capable of promoting peace and harmony among the three senatorial districts.
Imam said stakeholders from Lokoja Local Government Area had reviewed the outcome of the summit and resolved to support the principle of power rotation while maintaining their endorsement of Ododo for a second term.
“Power rotation is a healthy and well-accepted consensus which we consider important. We, as critical stakeholders in Lokoja, key into the desire for power rotation and its attendant benefits of creating peace and harmony in Kogi State,” he said.
However, the former Speaker argued that the principle should not be applied in a manner that would prevent Ododo from seeking another term in office.
He noted that elected officials at different levels of government, including councillors, local government chairmen, members of state and national assemblies, as well as the President, were also seeking re-election.
Imam said it would therefore be inconsistent to subject Ododo’s second-term ambition to what he described as an unnecessary debate while other elected office holders pursued renewed mandates.
He called on political leaders, stakeholders and people of goodwill across the state to support the governor’s re-election bid, expressing confidence that a second term would enable him to sustain and improve on his administration’s development programmes.
The APC chieftain also maintained that Ododo’s return to office would help consolidate the peace and stability which, according to him, the state was currently enjoying.
“We, the critical stakeholders in Lokoja, hereby extend our support, solidarity and commitment to the re-election of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, come November 2027,” he declared.
He urged those present at the briefing to translate the endorsement into concrete political action, stressing that the declaration should go beyond a mere press statement.
Imam added that stakeholders in Lokoja were expected to work towards achieving the governor’s re-election, while calling on other groups across Kogi State to join the effort.
The endorsement comes amid ongoing discussions over power rotation among Kogi’s three senatorial districts, an issue that has featured prominently in debates about political representation, equity and the state’s future leadership.
