By Musa Bakare.
Every election season produces two things: noise and truth. Noise comes from propaganda machines; truth comes from the heart of the people. Across Kogi State today, that truth is unmistakable. The grassroots know who has consistently stood with them, long before the campaign drums began to beat.
Today, Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke tremendously enjoys wholesome acceptance of the people across the length and breadth of Kogi state. Popularity is not manufactured in press conferences. It is earned in communities, tested in loyalty, and proven under pressure. Hon. Faleke’s political capital was not built overnight. It is the product of years of visible presence, dependable representation, and strategic relevance within both state and national politics.
From wards to local governments to senatorial districts, Hon. Faleke’s name resonates not because of sponsored narratives, but because of lived impact. Constituents remember his accessibility, the empowerments, medical outreaches, street lights he facilitated, and the school fees he has paid, and continues to pay, for thousands of their children.
Party faithful remember his loyalty and his contributions to the growth of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State. They recall his role in ensuring fair distribution of opportunities even across political political lines. Stakeholders remember his reliability. These are political currencies no emergency aspirant can counterfeit.
Within the APC the ruling political party in the state, his credibility is his ultimate power base, Hon. Faleke commands it. He is widely seen as a rare bridge between grassroots realities and federal influence, a political asset many aspire to be but are far from being able to achieve.
As 2027 draws closer, detractors will intensify their distortions. That is the nature of competitive politics. But propaganda has its limits: it cannot erase memory, and it cannot silence lived experience. Today’s electorate is sharper, more politically literate, and far less gullible than in years past.
Elections are not decided in television studios or backroom strategy sessions. They are decided in markets, town squares, town halls, and ultimately, at the polling units, the true arenas of democracy. And in those arenas, Hon. Faleke’s acceptance is not a theory; it is a reality.
As the march toward 2027 continues, one conclusion is crystallizing: this contest will not be settled by the volume of noise, but by the depth of trust. And in politics, trust built through genuine connection will always defeat narratives built through manipulation.
History is clear. When decision day comes, Kogi voters do not follow slogans, they follow conviction.
– Musa Asiru Bakare, a foundational member of the APC and political analyst, writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.
