Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, on Friday, pledged his moral and financial support for the expected victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the October 19 local government elections in the state.
Prince Audu gave the pledge when he met with the Kogi State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Abdulahi Bello Dollar and all the party’s Council Chairmanship candidates from the twenty-one local government areas of the state at the APC Secretariat in Lokoja.
The Minister, who was in the state to vote at the elections, congratulated the candidates for representing the APC in the local council elections and for their peaceful and successful campaigns, expressing optimism of total victory for all the candidates in the elections.
Prince Audu said that he had made it a priority to personally meet with the candidates before the elections to give financial support to the 21 council Chairmanship Candidates, the 3 Zonal Chairmen across the state and the APC Secretariat in Kogi State.
He lauded the State APC Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello for successfully piloting the affairs of the party, standing on the legacies of the founding father of the APC in the State, late Prince Abubakar Audu and the current leader of the party, former Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello as well as the current Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“For all the Council Chairmanship Candidates in the twenty-one Local Governments here present, let me start by saying a big congratulations to you all for the opportunity to represent our great party in your respective Local Government Areas.
“I have wanted to be personally present at the flag-off of the campaigns that took place in September, but I was in Moscow, Russia to sign the MoU for the revitalisation of Ajaokuta and NIOMCO with the original builders of the plant. It is all in our interest to continue to pray for the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Complex because it will create hundreds of thousands of jobs across Kogi State and Nigeria and even benefit the generations yet unborn.
“I am here as one of the most senior members of the party in the State to lend my support to all the candidates that will be contesting the elections tomorrow,” Audu said.
The State Chairman of the Party, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, thanked the Minister for his support and always having the interest of the party at heart.
“The founder of the APC, the Late Prince Abubakar Audu, has laid a template of supremacy, and Alhaji Yahaya Bello took over from him and led with great distinction, and now the current Governor, His Excellency, Ahmed Usman Ododo is continuing. It is in that line of supremacy of the party that the Honourable Minister has keyed in to make this great support. We appreciate you, Honourable Minster,” Bello stated.
Hon. Tosin Olokun, former Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), and the party’s flagbearer from Yagba West, who spoke on behalf of the other candidates, appreciated the support of the Minister, which he described as magnanimous, also thanking him for his commitment to the party.
