By joshua 
2027: Kogi LGA, Safe Haven for APC – Feat Passionately Driven by the Rare Man, Engr. Bashiru Abubakar Gegu
By Abu Micheal
The 2027 general election is by the corner, and while the entire political chessboard of Nigeria is still being shaped, one thing is already settled in Kogi State. Kogi State has been touted as an APC State, and within the state, there is one local government where head or tail, win or lose, the result can be predicted even before ballots are cast. That place is Kogi Local Government Area.
Kogi LGA sits at the gateway to the state from the northern axis. It is not an exaggeration to say that as soon as you cross Abaji, the aura and the very smell of APC welcomes you. Investigation into the political behavior of the people shows a consistent pattern: their “yes” means you can sleep with your two eyes closed. That has been their political trajectory for years.
The signs were so clear that prior to the 2023 election when the ruling administration of late Prince Abubakar Audu was facing turbulence, it was Kogi LGA that first showed the tide would not favor him, emboldened other political actors to stand their gun.
Soon after, leadership from the area, which had tried to maintain politics of ideology, gave way to a new order. What you have in Kogi LGA today is a complete departure from the usual. The local government is now infectious in its loyalty, completely a stronghold of the APC. Other opposition parties may argue, but the ground tells a different story.
The success story of APC in Kogi LGA can be traced directly to the handiwork of one man: Engr. Bashiru Abubakar Gegu. His blend of politics can only be compared to the politicians of the First Republic, leaders who were accountable to the people and whose word carried weight. Since his debut into the APC after crossing from the PDP following an attempt at the House of Representatives, Engr. Gegu took leadership by storm. Like a thunderbolt, he became a rising star not by noise, but by strategy. He made the people the center of leadership, and that is why he has become a veritable force in state politics and a man to be reckoned with.
Appointed as the pioneer Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources in Kogi State, Engr. Gegu has not only used the position to place the state on the world map as a solid mineral destination, he has used it as a tool for human development. Under his watch, the Ministry of Solid Minerals recorded landmark accomplishments that have changed the narrative of the sector in Kogi State. With about 30 mining license to the advantage of the State, he drove the formalization and organization of artisanal miners, creating cooperatives and licensing frameworks that moved thousands of youths from illegal mining to regulated, income-generating enterprise. He attracted national and foreign investors to Kogi’s vast deposits of limestone, coal, iron ore, feldspar, and granite, positioning the state as a preferred investment destination. He initiated training and capacity-building programs for local miners in safety, modern mining techniques, and environmental compliance, ensuring that resource extraction benefits communities without destroying them. Through strategic collaboration with the federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, he secured Kogi’s inclusion in key mineral development corridors, and his ministry’s revenue drive increased internally generated revenue from the sector significantly within his first years in office. Beyond policy, he personally intervened in resolving community-miner conflicts, ensuring that host communities became stakeholders, not victims, in the mining value chain.
This is the holistic reflection of his attraction to the people of Kogi LGA since becoming a commissioner. He did not become distant in office. Instead, he stretched his tentacles beyond Kogi LGA, but never forgot his base. Amongst past and present leadership from the area, his record will for long remain unbroken. He has impacted all sectors and the lives of the people of the local government in ways that feel personal. He was deliberate. He took the better part of leadership and decision making to the youth and women demography. Through targeted empowerment programs, provision of direct employment, political appointments, and business support, he allowed them to sit at the table where decisions are made. That single act placed him far above his colleague commissioners. While others spoke about inclusion, Engr. Gegu practiced it. He made sure that young men who hitherto had no direction now had skills and jobs, and that women who were invisible in politics now had voice and influence.
His unprecedented inroad into the lives of the people through selfless service and untainted loyalty has earned him traditional titles and awards for his accomplishments in service. The people do not just respect him, they trust him. That trust is why Kogi LGA has become a fortress for the APC.
Yes, the days may still be far as the people get set to go to the ballot. But one thing remains clear and undeniable. Engr. Bashiru Abubakar Gegu is the winning force in Kogi LGA, the determinant factor in winning Kogi West, and in turn, the most precious factor that will decide a simple majority should technicalities ever be used to determine the state governorship election when the time comes.
He is not just a commissioner. He is the rare man whose politics of service has turned an entire local government into a safe haven for APC.