By joshua 2027: With 18 Years of Loyalty, Grassroots Projects, Zacchaeus Jonathan Emerges ADC’s Strongest Bet for Kogi West Senate.
As the 2027 general elections draw near, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kogi West is coalescing around a familiar figure: Surveyor Zacchaeus Jonathan. A former House of Representatives candidate for Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency, Jonathan is now tipped as the frontrunner for the party’s senatorial ticket — backed by nearly two decades of loyalty and constituency projects delivered without holding public office.
1. ADC’s Foundation Builder in Kogi
Jonathan’s ties to the ADC date back to 2007. After losing the PDP ticket for Lokoja II State Constituency, he defected to the ADC where National Chairman Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu charged him to establish the party in Kogi State. He ran as ADC’s candidate that same year.
When his name was unlawfully omitted from the ballot, he challenged the outcome at the Election Tribunal, won, and secured a re-run. Though the re-run was “even more compromised,” Nwosu told him: _“Zacch don’t worry, you may think you have lost but I tell you, you have not.”
He stayed. In 2018, he opened ADC’s Lokoja office ahead of the 2019 polls, vowing the party would “sweep aside the ruling APC.” While others defected, Jonathan continued “nurturing and expanding the ADC’s presence” across Kogi.
2. Projects Without a Seat
A registered Surveyor with a PGD in Public Administration and MSc in GIS from the University of Ibadan, Jonathan lectured at Kaduna Polytechnic and once chaired PENGASSAN at Western Geophysical. His private-sector record underpins his constituency work:
– Constructed a bridge at Ganaja junction to end erosion problems
– Provided a primary school for displaced Bassa and Gbagi families in Igahachi
– Donated laptops to GSS Agbaja’s ICT library
– Funded youth training with Google and Jobberman
– Supplied materials to stabilize a mosque threatened by erosion
“I initiated and sponsored empowerment training for youth in Lokoja… I paid the bills,” he said in 2023.
3. A Consistent Grassroots Figure
From ADC in 2019 to Labour Party in 2023, and a 2022 NNPP primary loss, one constant remains: grassroots support. The Inspired Youths endorsed him in 2019 for his “landmark achievements as a philanthropist,” describing him as “synonymous with excellence.”
He ran in 2023 on “competence, commitment, character, compassion and capacity,” promising a “bottom-top” model where “what the communities want will be the bases of my representation.”
4. 2027: ‘Battle Ready’
Now back in ADC after resigning from the APC, Jonathan says 2027 “will be a different ballgame” and he is “politically battle ready” for the Kogi West ticket.
With the ADC facing internal divisions — Rep Leke Abejide endorsed APC’s Bola Tinubu in 2023 — party elders see Jonathan as a stabilizing force. He has also pushed for equity, recently calling for Lokoja to be considered for Deputy Governor in power-sharing talks.
Why ADC May Bet on Him
1. Founder’s loyalty – He built ADC Kogi; he didn’t just join it.
2. Ready structure – 18 years of youth and women networks across Lokoja/Kogi LGAs.
3. Technocrat credentials – Surveyor, GIS expert, ex-lecturer, former union leader.
4. Proof of work – Schools, bridges, ICT donations, empowerment — all from private funds.
5. Political resilience – Tribunals, primaries, party storms. He’s tested.
For the ADC to break PDP/APC dominance in Kogi West, fielding a founding member with projects on ground and no defection baggage may be its clearest path. As a supporter put it in 2019: “We are looking forward to quality representation with Zacch at the National Assembly.”
The 2027 question: Will the ADC reward loyalty? And will voters finally give Jonathan the mandate many say he has long earned?