By joshua 
2027: Why Zacchaeus Jonathan Stands as ADC’s Strongest Bet for Kogi West Senate Seat
As the 2027 electoral cycle draws near, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kogi West is quietly witnessing the resurgence of one of its most resilient figures: Surveyor Zacchaeus Jonathan — a serial contestant whose loyalty, grassroots appeal, and party pedigree now position him as the frontrunner for the Kogi West Senatorial ticket.
A former House of Representatives candidate for Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency, Jonathan is no stranger to the ballot. Described as “resilient and dogged with determination in every project he lays his hands”, his political journey spans nearly two decades, marked by persistence despite repeated setbacks “for some obvious political reasons.”
He helped built ADC in Kogi From Scratch.
Jonathan’s claim to the ADC ticket runs deeper than aspiration — he helped birth the party in Kogi. Aggrieved after being denied the PDP ticket for Lokoja II State Assembly in 2007, he defected to ADC where he was “warmly received by Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu and entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the party’s structure in Kogi State.” He fulfilled that mandate while also running as ADC’s flag-bearer.
When he was unlawfully omitted from the ballot despite being validly nominated, he pursued justice at the Election Tribunal, won, and got a re-run ordered. Though the re-run was “even more compromised”, Chief Nwosu told him: “….Zacch don’t worry, you may think you have lost but I tell you, you have not….”
“Undeterred, Hon. Zacchaeus continued to nurture and expand the ADC’s presence in Kogi State, building connections with voters and strengthening the party’s grassroots capital”. In 2018, he opened the ADC office in Lokoja ahead of 2019, assuring that ADC would “sweep aside the ruling APC”.
Even without elective office, Jonathan’s footprint is visible. A registered Land Surveyor with PGD in Public Administration and MSc in Geographic Information System from University of Ibadan, he lectured at Kaduna Polytechnic and worked as Seismic Surveyor with Western Geophysical in Port Harcourt. He was also PENGASSAN Chairman.
His constituency projects include:
– Constructing a bridge at Ganaja junction where erosion disturbed residents
– Providing a Primary School for displaced Bassa and Gbagi people in Igahachi
– Donating laptops to Government Secondary School Agbaja ICT library
– Sponsoring youth empowerment training with Google and Jobberman
– Providing materials to stabilize a Mosque building against erosion.
“I initiated and sponsored Empowerment Training for some youth in Lokoja… I sponsored this training and paid the bills”, he said in 2023.
Always With the People. Jonathan has contested multiple times — ADC in 2019, Labour Party in 2023, and lost NNPP primary in 2022 to Abdullahi Idris 71-14. Yet each time, “Zacchaeus Jonathan is always having the people on his side.” A youth group, Inspired Youths, backed him in 2019, citing “landmark achievements as a philanthropist” and saying he is “synonymous with excellence”.
In 2023, he described himself as “the best bet for Lokoja Kogi Federal Constituency” with “competence, commitment, character, compassion and capacity”. He promised a “BOTTOM-TOP approach system of Representation” where “what the people, the communities, want will be the bases of my representation”.
Now back in ADC after resigning from APC ahead of 2027, Jonathan says 2027 “will be a different ballgame as he is politically battle ready to win the ADC Kogi West Senatorial District ticket.”
With ADC currently battling internal factional crises, party elders argue Jonathan offers stability. He is “one of the party’s resilient grassroots pillars” who stayed when others defected. In 2023, while ADC Rep Leke Abejide endorsed Tinubu of APC, Jonathan remained Surv. Zacchaeus Jonathan, tailored for 2027 Kogi West Senate race: