The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kogi State under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello has won all 25 State Assembly seats in an historic landslide victory over any opposition in the State’s political history.
Although, the party on March 9, during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections cleared all the major seats in the State assembly, it had to wait for the rescheduled elections in Lokoja I, Omala and Igalamela/Odolu constituencies where elections were initially declared inconclusive to affirm its winning streak.
After the conduct of the election and collation of results in the affected units on Saturday, the APC has officially won in all the State constituencies, leaving no room for any opposition party in the State Assembly.
Speaking on the party’s successful outing in the recently held polls in the state, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi state who also doubled as the Director-General, APC Campaign Council in the state, Hon. Edward Onoja listed seven key factors responsible for the party’s unprecedented success in the state.
One of the factors according to Onoja was the non-imposition of candidates by the party. He said all the candidates on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State were not imposed or gave bribes for endorsement, adding that they went through the primaries and came out as party flag bearers.
Hon. Edward said another critical factor that contributed to the party’s winning streak was the quick resolution of pockets of disputes that came up after the primaries were conducted. “Those who did not make it at the primaries were quickly engaged in sincere dialogue with the party leadership and they shelved their ambitions, joined the winners of the primaries and worked collectively for the success of the party. This is the Principle of every body is important within the party”.
Hon. Onoja said effective communication between the leadership of the party from top to the bottom was also critical to the party’s success in the last elections. “ in Kogi State, governance and politicking had an unbroken chain of network from the very top to the unit level where the actions of winning or losing elections takes place. We put in place effective networking in a very transparent and open manner. When the leader of the party gives directions, it goes down to the least unit within the party, no one was left behind in the scheme of things”.
Hon. Onoja said, the party executives were made up of competent party faithful with proven integrity. “The Excos Of our party in the state are made up of people with proven integrity and capacity that emerged through transparent party congress. So, there are people with commitment and determination to drive electioneering campaign that has resulted in our victory today”.
The last and most important reason that earned the APC a landslide victory in Kogi according to the DG, Campaign Council was effective leadership that the state government under governor Yahaya Bello is providing for the people.
He said “There are physical infrastructure at every locality in the state which are functions of the leadership of the present administration. Yes, we are not where we want to be but the people believe the government is taking steps in the right direction to improve their well being through provision of critical infrastructure and they (people) are not ready to return to the old day of ineffective leadership”.
In Kogi East, the APC, aside winning the senatorial and three House of Representatives seats, the party also won the eleven State Constituencies including Ankpa I, Ankpa II, Bassa, Dekina (Okura), Dekina (Biraidu), Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Ofu, Omala and Olamaboro.
Such feat has never been recorded in Kogi East Senatorial district in the history of the State.
Also In Kogi Central Senatorial District, the party also won the senate as well as all its House of Representatives seats.
In same vain, the party clinched Assembly seats in Okene I & II, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi and Ogori-Magongo constituencies.
Similar event happened in Kogi West as the party also won in all Its state Constituencies including Kabba-Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba-East, Yagba-West, Mopamuro, Lokoja II and Kogi (Kotonkarfe) and also Lokoja I Constituency.
The state party chairman Hon Abdullahi Bello said the overwhelming victory of the APC at the polls were clear indications that the party was more united, entrenched and more positioned for any electoral contest in the state.
Justifying why the people supported APC and its candidates, the state government believed that the people decided to be on the side of a government that has given them a new lease of life and a departure from what has been happening since the returned to democracy in Nigeria.
On his part, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mohammed Onogwu, asserted: “The people have shown that they trust the APC-led administration because the achievements are visible enough to speak for themselves. The victory that APC recorded in the 2019 polls is without doubt a reward for hard work, sincerity, transparency and accountability”.
“Governor Bello and his lieutenants all have their eyes on the ball and are poised to raise the bar of leadership and governance. There is hardly any part of Kogi that the government has not covered in terms of provision of critical infrastructure such as roads, schools, hospitals, water, electricity and other social interventions. So, the massive support and cooperation we are getting from our people is an eloquent testimony of the fact that they are pleased and happy with the feats we have recorded across the critical sectors of the economy.”
