YES, ODODO WILL DELIVER KOGI FOR TINUBU – WITH OR WITHOUT KARIMI
By Muhammed Jamiu
I have read with keen interest the article by Michael Adebowale, asking whether Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo can deliver Kogi for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu without Senator Sunday Karimi on the ballot.
With all due respect, the question itself is misplaced. It assumes that one man is bigger than a state. It assumes that Kogi State is a personal estate. It is not.
Governor Ododo will deliver Kogi for Tinubu, not because of any single politician, but because the people of Kogi loves him, trust him, and have seen his works.
Governor Ododo is not a governor of noise. He is a governor of action. He is called the Chief Servant of Kogi State for a reason. He does not rule from Government House, he walks with the people.
From Gegu to Okene, from Kabba to Idah, from Ankpa to Yagba, the story is the same. Ododo is accessible, humble, and humane. He listens to the market women, to students, to farmers, to traditional rulers, to youths. That love cannot be manufactured by press statements.
Let us talk about facts, not sentiments
Ododo has made prompt payment of salaries and pensions a priority. Workers no longer live in fear of half salary or no salary. Pensioners who were forgotten are now remembered. That is love in action.
From the rural roads connecting farming communities to urban roads in Lokoja, Kabba, Okene and Idah, Ododo is opening Kogi. Roads that were death traps are now motorable. The Kabba – Lokoja corridor and other critical routes are receiving massive attention.
Governor Ododo has invested in renovation of schools, recruitment and support for teachers, bursary and scholarship support for Kogi students, and free education policies that reduce burden on parents. He understands that a child in Kogi West deserves same quality as a child in any part of Nigeria.
Primary healthcare centres are being revitalised across the 21 LGAs. Pregnant women and children are getting better attention. Health is wealth, and Governor Ododo knows it.
Despite national challenges, Ododo has strengthened the Kogi State Vigilante Service, collaborated with security agencies, and taken the fight to kidnappers and criminals. Kogi is safer today because the Governor does not sleep on security.
Through empowerment programmes, agricultural support, and youth/women inclusion, Ododo has given thousands of Kogites a source of livelihood. He does not empower by tribe, he empowers by need.
Under Governor Ododo our local governments are working. Chairmen are on ground. Projects are visible at the grassroots. This is true grassroots governance.
These are not Facebook achievements. They are verifiable on ground.
To say Tinubu cannot win Kogi without Karimi is to insult the intelligence of over 4 million Kogites. Kogi is APC. Kogi voted for Tinubu in 2023 massively, not because of one senator, but because of the party, the Renewed Hope Agenda, and the belief in progress.
Kogi West alone has 7 LGAs. Karimi is just one voice among many leaders House of Reps members, House of Assembly members, Commissioners, LG Chairmen, traditional rulers, women leaders, youth leaders. To reduce Kogi West to one man is an insult to Okun, Yagba, and Lokoja/Koton-Karfe people.
The slogan “Okun Lokan” is beautiful, but Okun Lokan does not mean “Karimi Lokan.” Okun people are wise. They will vote for who serves them, not who shouts for them.
On the issue of unity, Yes, APC must be united. But unity cannot be achieved through blackmail: “Put me on the ballot or Tinubu will lose.” That is not unity. That is hostage taking.
True unity is built on respect for the rule of law, respect for party primaries, and respect for court judgments. Governor Ododo has shown that unity by carrying everyone along, even those who opposed him.
In conclusion, Governor Ododo will deliver Kogi for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 because he has the love of the people, the record of performance, and the structure of a united APC.
Karimi is a member of our party. We respect him. But Kogi State is bigger than any one man.
Tinubu will win in Kogi West. Tinubu will win in Kogi East. Tinubu will win in Kogi Central. Because Ododo is working, and Kogi people can see it.
Ododo is loved. Ododo is working. Kogi is for Tinubu.
Muhammed Jamiu writes from Gegu-Beki
