By joshua HON. HARUNA GANAJA: THE BRIDGE BUILDER SET TO MAKE HISTORY IN AJAOKUTA LGA
By Abu Micheal
Hon. Haruna Ganaja
“He Is For Nobody But For Everyone”
… Why Ganaja Is Headed For A Roller-Coaster Victory In October
As Kogi State counts down to the October Local Government elections, one name echoes across the streets, markets and political circles of Ajaokuta LGA with a rhythm of certainty: Hon. Haruna Ganaja.
Popularly called “Haruna Ganaja,” he is not just a chairmanship candidate. Over the years he has grown into something far bigger, a symbol of unity, a bridge builder, and the man both the elite and the grassroots have come to trust.
In a political terrain often divided by clan, religion and interest, Hon. Haruna has remained the rare candidate who belongs to nobody but to everyone. That is the feat he has achieved quietly, consistently, and without pretence. It is why political analysts now say that with his emergence as the APC flag bearer, Ganaja Community is on the verge of making history by producing the first Chairman from the area.
“When you talk about someone who can sit with the elders in the morning and dance with the youth in the evening, that is Haruna Ganaja,” a community leader in Geregu Ward said. “
He doesn’t ask what party you belong to before he helps you. He asks what problem you have.”
That politics of inclusion is what made him the bride of all political parties in Ajaokuta LGA. Because his policies and politics have always been pro-people centred, he earned trust long before he earned a ticket. For years he played the politics of opposition, learning the terrain, listening to the people, and building relationships without bitterness. When he made the strategic move to the ruling APC, he did not just cross over, he changed the entire equation. Since then, his political stock has risen on a roller-coaster ride, and today he is widely regarded as the man to beat in October.
What makes him the bride is not slogans. It is character, and it is record. Hon. Haruna Ganaja is known for humility that disarms, accessibility that is unmatched, and a capacity to listen before he speaks. He is a strategist who understands the map of Ajaokuta politically, and a grassroots mobilizer who knows every ward by name. He is a bridge between the old and the young, between Geregu and every other ward, between the market woman and the technocrat. People describe him as generous without noise, courageous without arrogance, and loyal without compromise.
And the record backs the reputation. Over the years his accomplishments have been published and are verifiable across Ajaokuta. He has facilitated educational support for indigent students, sponsored skills acquisition programs for women and youths, and intervened in health outreaches that reached the most vulnerable. He has been at the forefront of community development projects in Ganaja and beyond, from road grading to water interventions and support for local security. In business and public service he has created jobs and mentored young people who today speak of him as a ladder they climbed. These are not whispers. They are documented acts of service that have made him the man of the moment.
The choice of Hon. Haruna as APC candidate is also a masterstroke because of the place of Geregu Ward and Ganaja in the electoral mathematics of Ajaokuta LGA and the Federal Constituency. To win Ajaokuta, you must win Ganaja. To win Ganaja, you must win hearts. And that is exactly what he has done.
Beyond politics, Hon. Haruna carries the attributes that define an effective Chairman. He has vision to set direction, and the discipline to follow through. He has the temperament to manage conflict and the wisdom to build consensus. He is accountable, transparent, and deeply rooted in the people. He understands that leadership is service, and service is sacrifice. That is why today the people both fear to lose him and love to follow him.
By his antecedents, there is no doubt and it is certain that he will do exceedingly well if elected. The same hands that have built bridges across divides, the same heart that has served without discrimination, and the same capacity that has delivered verifiable projects will now be deployed to the entire Ajaokuta LGA. His track record is not a promise; it is proof. And proof, the people say, is what leadership requires.
“We have tried politics of division before,” a youth leader in Ajaokuta town said.
“This time we want politics of development. Ganaja has shown he can unite us and deliver.”
Another elder put it more plainly: “For 30 years we have waited. Now our son is ready. This October, history will be made.”
As the ballot approaches, the message in Ajaokuta is clear. Hon. Haruna Ganaja is not running on promises alone. He is running on a life of bridge building, on published service, on pro-people politics, and on the momentum of a community ready to take its place.
In him, Ajaokuta sees not just a candidate, but a Chairman in waiting.
In him, Ganaja sees history.
In him, the people see “nobody but everyone.”