Ahead of the yet-to-be-scheduled Kogi governorship primary election, a coalition of youth groups in the Western axis of the state has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a seasoned banker, Adebanji Jimoh, as the party’s flag bearer for the November 11 polls.
A statement signed by the groups’ Presidents and Secretaries and made available to newsmen in Lokoja described Banji Jimoh as a detribalised Nigeria who has the right exposure, connection and results orientation to lead Kogi State to reclaim her lost glory.
“There comes a time in the life of a state when her past needed to be retrospectively and conscientiously reviewed. Her present, judiciously assessed and re-appraised and her future illuminated by experiences and historical precedence.
“In the case of Kogi State, everyone agrees we need the calibre and person of Banji Jimoh to occupy the seat of power at Lugard House, Lokoja, based on his antecedent and wealth of experience,” the statement read in part.
The statement equally indicated that Banji Jimoh is a man with a large heart and one who understand the plights of the people of Kogi State.
The coalition said Banji is a man who understand all methods in solving rising challenges.
“There is no better time than now. The time to give hap to our past that have been rendered hapless, help to our helpless present and hope to our future that seemed hopeless.
“As we advance into the 2023 Kogi State Governorship election, there is the absolute need to ensure the full benefit of our state sovereignty based on popular verdict, justice, fairness and rules of law. To create enabling socio-political environment for men with high integrity, one who has the love of the people at heart and one who rush swiftly to the defense of his people whenever the need arises; and the need to build a dynamic economy egalitarian society strong and united Kogi State worthy of our dream.
“We of the Kogi For Good Governance (KFGG), Kogi For A Better Tomorrow (KFBT) and Kogi West Unite For Good Governance (KWUFGG), a collaborative platform of youth organizations and other interest based groups united for the promotion and actualization of Distinguished Banji Jimoh as Governor of our beloved Kogi State come 2024, are of the belief that the realization of these imperative needs is predicated upon the unity, peace, security and stability of our beloved Kogi State.
“We want to make it known to the good people of Kogi State that there is no senatorial district of the state that can produce the governor of the state within themselves alone, but needs the cooperation and support from other senatorial district to achieve her desires.
“It is on this note, we want to appeal to our beloved brothers in Kogi East and Kogi Central senatorial district respectively to give their overwhelming and massive support for Kogi West for the sake of justice, equity and fairness.
“We have observed with keen interest the recent calls from different groups across Kogi State to Banji Jimoh to declare and run for Kogi State number one job to enable the results-oriented banker to take over the mantle of leadership come 2024 after a successful tenure of the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello.
“To the glory of God, Distinguished Banji Jimoh has purchased the APC nomination and intent forms, and he was received by mammoth crowd who have been waited for such moment in the history of Kogi State.
“Banji Jimoh can discover the hidden switches to switch on the light to shine on our people and chase the alien poverty and darkness away. We need a leader who will use the instrument of justice and fairness in a true state for dividends of democracy across the nooks and crannies of our beloved Kogi State.
“We need a leader who will serve as the leading light to chase away darkness, vendetta and restore hope, fairness, justice, rule of law to the millions of despaired of our good people whose energy and capacities have been stagnated for decades due to impaired wealth generation and distribution policies.
“We cannot afford moving to the 2023 Kogi State Governorship election with obsolete ideas and machineries, selfish and wicked pretenders who have nothing to offer when elected.
“We need a leader with new energies, new ideas, new machineries, new innovation and that is inherent in Distinguished Banji Jimoh that will be able to build on the structure of Governor Yahaya Bello for a new Kogi State of our dream as such the bearer of the key to the door of relevance opportunities and development.”
