Kogi APC Stakeholders Rally Behind Tinubu, Ododo as 2027 Race Gathers Momentum!

Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.

LOKOJA, KOGI STATE — Political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo ahead of the 2027 elections has continued to consolidate within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, with party stakeholders and grassroots representatives reaffirming their backing for both leaders to seek second terms.

The latest development forms part of a broader pattern of endorsements across Kogi, including participation by political actors from Ijumu Local Government Area and the wider Kogi West Senatorial District. Supporters have pointed to what they describe as infrastructure development, economic reforms, security initiatives, appointments and grassroots programmes as reasons for their continued confidence in the two administrations.

The renewed political alignment comes as Nigeria gradually moves towards the 2027 general elections, with political parties and their supporters increasingly positioning themselves for what is expected to be a closely watched electoral contest.

The endorsement of Tinubu and Ododo, however, remains a political declaration by party stakeholders and supporters rather than an electoral outcome. The ultimate decision will rest with voters when the elections are conducted.

APC stakeholders cite performance and political leadership

Within Kogi APC, supporters have repeatedly linked their support for Tinubu and Ododo to what they regard as achievements recorded since the two administrations came into office.

At a major APC endorsement event in Lokoja in October 2025, stakeholders formally backed President Tinubu and Governor Ododo for second terms. The gathering brought together party executives, political appointees, lawmakers, women and youth groups, as well as party supporters from across the state’s 21 local government areas.

Former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, a leading figure in the state APC, moved the motion endorsing Tinubu for another presidential term. He also backed Ododo for a second term as governor.

The endorsement was subsequently supported by other senior party figures, including the Kogi State APC chairman and Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

Bello argued that Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to Nigeria’s development and credited the President with economic and political reforms. He urged APC members and supporters to remain united behind the administration as the 2027 election approaches.

The Kogi State Government also reported that APC stakeholders declared their support for both leaders, describing the endorsement as a demonstration of unity within the party.

Ijumu’s role in the emerging political alignment

Ijumu Local Government Area occupies an important position in the political calculations of Kogi West and the wider Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency.

Recent political developments indicate that stakeholders from the area have remained active in the APC’s mobilisation efforts.

In July 2026, councillors representing the state’s 21 local government areas unanimously adopted a motion supporting the re-election of Tinubu and Ododo. Significantly, Hon. Ayodele Dorcas Adejumoke, representing Okoro-Igah Ward in Ijumu Local Government Area, seconded the motion for Tinubu’s re-election.

The development provides a direct link between Ijumu grassroots political representation and the wider APC endorsement campaign.

The councillors, according to the Kogi State Government’s account of the meeting, cited infrastructure, security, economic development, youth and women’s empowerment, and improvements in public service delivery among the areas in which they said the Ododo administration had recorded progress.

They also called for improved welfare and working conditions for councillors, including better remuneration, official vehicles for council leaders, capacity-building programmes, legislative training, ICT facilities and other working tools.

That combination of political support and demands for improved grassroots governance illustrates an important feature of the emerging 2027 political conversation: endorsements do not necessarily eliminate expectations from political actors who support an administration.

Kogi West emerges as a significant political battleground

The latest endorsements are particularly significant because of Kogi West’s strategic place in the state’s political structure.

Kogi West comprises seven local government areas, including Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Yagba East, Yagba West, Mopamuro, Lokoja and Kogi Local Government Areas.

In October 2025, the Kogi West FGYB Legacy Group, representing stakeholders from the seven local government areas, endorsed Tinubu and Ododo for second terms. The group said its decision was based on confidence in the administrations’ economic, infrastructure and development policies.

The meeting attracted commissioners, local government chairmen, lawmakers, political appointees and other party stakeholders from the district.

The Nation newspaper also reported that representatives from the seven local government areas participated in the endorsement process, including Dr Helen Adeniyi, Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, who represented Ijumu.

The development underscores how the APC has been attempting to present a unified political structure across the district ahead of the 2027 elections.

Why the endorsements matter

Political endorsements are a familiar feature of Nigeria’s electoral process. They can serve several purposes: demonstrating party unity, signalling grassroots mobilisation, strengthening an incumbent’s political standing and sending a message to potential challengers.

For Tinubu, support from Kogi is politically relevant because the state is one of the North-Central states where the APC maintains a strong organisational structure.

For Ododo, endorsements from across the state provide an opportunity to demonstrate that his administration retains the backing of party leaders and grassroots political structures ahead of the next governorship election cycle.

The two political contests, however, are not identical.

The presidential election will involve voters across Nigeria, while the governorship contest will be decided by voters in Kogi State. Consequently, local endorsements may carry different political implications depending on the election being considered.

They also do not automatically translate into votes.

Nigeria’s electoral history demonstrates that political endorsements can be influential but are not substitutes for voter mobilisation, credible candidates, campaign organisation, policy performance and public confidence.

Tinubu’s reforms remain central to APC’s argument

Supporters of President Tinubu have continued to defend his administration’s economic reforms, particularly policies aimed at restructuring the Nigerian economy.

The Tinubu administration has introduced major policy changes since taking office, including fuel subsidy reforms, foreign-exchange reforms and other measures intended to stabilise public finances and reposition the economy.

These policies have also generated significant debate.

While government supporters argue that the reforms are necessary to place Nigeria on a more sustainable economic footing, critics have highlighted the immediate impact of inflation, increased living costs and pressure on households.

This tension is likely to remain central to the 2027 political debate.

For APC stakeholders seeking to secure another term for Tinubu, the central challenge will therefore be translating claims of macroeconomic improvement and infrastructure development into measurable improvements in household welfare.

Ododo’s record faces similar scrutiny

Governor Ododo’s administration is likewise expected to campaign on its record in Kogi.

Supporters have cited infrastructure, security, social intervention programmes, youth empowerment and public-sector welfare among the areas where they believe the administration has made progress.

In June 2026, for example, reports emerged concerning the approval of ₦24.7 billion for the rehabilitation of the Kabba-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti Road, a federal highway linking Kogi and Ekiti states. The development was welcomed by the member representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Hon. Salman Idris, who commended Tinubu, Works Minister David Umahi and Governor Ododo for their roles in securing attention for the project.

Such projects have political significance because roads and other infrastructure directly affect commerce, agriculture, transportation and access to services.

For residents of communities along the corridor, the ultimate test will be the actual delivery, quality and sustainability of the rehabilitation work.

Appointments and political representation

Appointments have also featured in the political arguments surrounding support for the APC administration.

Political supporters often view appointments as indicators of inclusion and representation, particularly in a state as politically diverse as Kogi.

The endorsement reports have referenced appointments and the participation of political appointees from different parts of the state as evidence of the party’s organisational reach.

Yet appointments can also become politically sensitive.

In September 2025, The Guardian examined emerging debates within Kogi APC over the distribution of political appointments and reported concerns raised by opposition figures about perceived regional imbalances. The report noted that such concerns were part of wider political disagreements within the state.

For the APC, maintaining cohesion across Kogi’s three senatorial districts will therefore remain important as the 2027 election approaches.

The opposition question

The endorsements also come against the backdrop of attempts by opposition politicians and groups to explore possible alliances ahead of 2027.

In June 2026, Leadership reported comments by former Kogi House of Assembly Speaker Prince Matthew Kolawole, who argued that opposition political alliances would not prevent Tinubu from securing another term. His comments came during an empowerment programme for widows in the Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency.

Such statements reflect the confidence within sections of the Kogi APC that the party can retain its political dominance.

But confidence from party leaders does not eliminate the need for effective campaigning.

Opposition parties can still challenge incumbents by focusing on issues that matter directly to voters, including food prices, employment, insecurity, infrastructure, education, healthcare and access to economic opportunities.

Endorsement is not the election

For Obaland Magazine, the significance of the latest development lies less in the political rhetoric of endorsement and more in what it reveals about the evolving structure of the 2027 contest.

The APC appears determined to present Kogi as a stronghold of support for President Tinubu and Governor Ododo.

The participation of representatives from Ijumu and other parts of Kogi West strengthens that narrative, while the July 2026 councillors’ endorsement demonstrates that the campaign for political alignment is reaching grassroots elected representatives.

However, an endorsement should not be confused with an electoral mandate.

The 2027 elections will ultimately be determined by voters, subject to the rules, timetable and processes established by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

For the APC, the task ahead will be to convert organisational unity into sustained public confidence.

For opposition parties, the challenge will be to provide credible alternatives capable of competing with an incumbent political structure that is already mobilising well ahead of the election.

And for voters, the most important question will remain whether the promises, projects and policies being presented by political actors have translated into tangible improvements in their everyday lives.

As Kogi’s political actors increasingly position themselves for 2027, the endorsement of Tinubu and Ododo by APC stakeholders represents an important political signal. But the real measure of its significance will emerge not at party gatherings, but at the ballot box.

Sources

1. The Guardian
2. Kogi State Government
3. Leadership
4. The Guardian
5. Democracy Newsline

Kogi APC stakeholders, including grassroots representatives from Ijumu and across Kogi West, reaffirm support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Usman Ododo ahead of the 2027 elections.