Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates and stakeholders to work for the party’s total victory in the state’s October 19 Local Government Council election.

Governor Ododo stated this at yesterday’s flag-off of the APC’s state-wide campaign for the local government council election, held at the Muhammadu Buhari Square in Lokoja.

A statement issued by Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, said the governor, who was joined by leaders of the party from the three senatorial districts of the state, used the occasion to present the scorecard of the APC-led administration in the state and noted that his administration has successfully implemented the 40 per cent affirmative action for women in elective positions in the state with the party’s decision to reserve all vice chairmanship positions and at least four out of every councillorship positions in each of the 21 local government areas in the state for women, adding that appointments of Ward Special Assistants and Local Government Special Assistants has indeed returned governance to the people at the grassroots.

He urged the people of the state to embrace peace and remain united behind the APC-led government, assuring that the party will continue to ensure that the resources of the state are utilised to lift the people out of poverty and consolidate on the achievements of the state government in all sectors of the economy.

According to Governor Ododo, “Our state has abundant mineral resources and human capital to lift us out of poverty. We must work hard to consolidate the solid foundation laid by my predecessor and the immediate past administration in different sectors by supporting the APC.

“On October 19, 2024, I urge you to come out and vote en masse for all APC chairmanship candidates in the 21 local government areas and our councillorship candidates in the 239 electoral wards in the state so that we can continue to build on the success we have achieved as a state under the APC.”

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s efforts to pull the nation out of the current economic crisis, assuring that Kogi state will continue to implement policies and programmes aimed at alleviating hardship among Nigerians.

Earlier in his address, the state chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, commended Governor Ododo for his exemplary performance, which he noted has made the party’s local government election campaign easier.

He urged party members to embark on a door-to-door campaign to ensure the party’s total victory in the state’s October 19 local government council election.

The ceremony, which attracted a large turnout of APC members from the 21 local government areas in the state, also saw the defection of Honourable Salman Idris, representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from the African Democratic Conference (ADC) to the All Progressives Congress.

The high point of the occasion was Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s presentation of APC flags to the chairmanship candidates from the 21 local government areas in the state.