In less than one week to governorship election in Kogi State, the Igbo Community Association (ICA) in the Confluence State has pledged 100 percent block votes, to ensure an overwhelming victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Usman Ododo.
This is coming as the group assured the State Governor, Yahaya Bello, of an unflinching support for his administration as the November poll approaches.
The Igbo community gave these assurances during the weekend while holding a meeting with Governor Bello and Ododo, during which they pledged total support for the APC candidate.
Speaking on behalf of the people of South East extraction, who are residents in Kogi State, the coordinator of Igbo Groups Backing Ododo (IGBO), Hon. Moses Okezie-Okafor, expressed gratitude for the Yahaya Bello Administration’s consistent friendship to the Igbo community while highlighting the great achievements of the administration.
Revealing that he has served for over 7 years in the Kogi State Executive Council courtesy of Governor Yahaya Bello’s merit-based leadership, Okezie-Okafor, a lawyer who hailed from Anambra State, emphasised that Ndigbo in Kogi State are equal partakers in the achievements, which he explained covers all sectors and constituencies in the state, especially education, infrastructure and healthcare.
He noted that the APC’s candidate’s slogan of ‘Continuity and Consolidation’ was therefore founded on solid realities and urged his people to vote to sustain the same.
On his part, the President of the ICA in Lokoja, Chief Sunday Nwachukwu, who doubles as the Leader of the Delegation, confirmed that the Igbo Community is a witness to the government’s great efforts in good governance across the state while expressing the group’s appreciation to the Governor.
Nwachukwu assured of the community’s support for Ododo, being a candidate that will maintain the momentum set by the Governor just as he noted that by his track records, Ododo has proved himself beyond doubt.
Other speakers in the delegation including the youth and women leaders concurred with the previous speakers, assuring that the Ndigbo in Kogi State will use their votes to speak with one voice on Saturday.
The APC candidate, Ododo, in his response, highlighted the long-standing friendship with Ndigbo and promised to sustain and enhance the administration’s accomplishments if elected. Ododo assured the Igbo leaders of continued delivery of democratic benefits to Kogi State and increased involvement of Ndigbo in the government.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Deedat Ozigis, who stood in for the Governor, responded positively to the Igbo Community’s requests, praising their contributions to the state’s progress and total absence from the crime scene in Kogi State.
He urged them to maintain their focus and enterprise while also urging them to vote for Alhaji Usman Ododo in the upcoming gubernatorial poll on November 11 in order to keep alive the accomplishments of the Yahaya Bello administration, for which they have shown themselves appreciative.
The meeting concluded with the delegation presenting a thank-you gift to the Governor on behalf of Ndigbo in Kogi State.
