By Ojotule Romanus
Traditional rulers and wider Owe community in Kabba Local Government Area, have pledged their support for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State for second term.
This is even as Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, assured them of his administration’s continued commitment to their development, declaring that the overwhelming support they have demonstrated for his administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be taken for granted.
The Governor gave the assurance on Wednesday at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Lokoja, when the Kabba Community Council of Chiefs, representing the 14 families of Owe Kabba Kingdom, paid a solidarity and appreciation visit to him.
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Ododo expressed particular appreciation to the traditional rulers for the confidence they reposed in him even before they had sufficient opportunity to assess his leadership.
According to him, the Kabba community effectively gave him an “open blank cheque” when they supported his emergence, describing such confidence as a huge responsibility.
He said the gesture imposed a moral obligation on him to reciprocate their trust through tangible development, stressing that he did not consider the projects being executed across the area as extraordinary, but as part of what the people deserved from government.
Governor Ododo also recalled the courage displayed by the Obaro of Kabba and other royal fathers who openly identified with him and the APC, despite the possible implications for their traditional positions.
He said such unwavering support had strengthened his determination to ensure that Kabba and the Owe people receive the attention they deserve. “If I don’t do what I should do for them, that means I am accursed,” the Governor said, stressing that his administration would continue to make its mark in the development of the community.
Responding to requests presented by the chiefs, Ododo directed that attention be given to the remodelling and redevelopment of the Obaro of Kabba Palace, urging the traditional institution and community leaders to guide the government on the appropriate scope of work. He noted that his administration had undertaken similar interventions involving traditional institutions in other parts of the state and was prepared to extend the same gesture to Kabba.
The Governor further assured the people that the road leading to the Obaro’s Palace would be attended to as soon as possible, while other
roads and projects already captured in the administration’s work plan would receive the necessary attention. He also pointed to ongoing efforts in the water sector, saying that with the necessary mobilisation already being undertaken, the people should expect further progress.
Ododo thanked the chiefs for coming together across the 14 families to convey their message of support to President Tinubu, promising to personally transmit their declaration to the President. He also acknowledged their pledge to support the APC and its candidates, saying their request for him to “go and sleep” ahead of the forthcoming election was reassuring. He urged the people to remain united and continue supporting the administration so that the development initiatives already commenced could be sustained.
Speaking on behalf of the Kabba Community delegation, High Chief Alegbemi Michael expressed profound appreciation to Governor Ododo for what he described as the administration’s visible impact on the community, particularly in infrastructure, healthcare, water supply, education and political inclusion.
He commended the transformation of the Kabba Local Government Secretariat, the Kabba Township Water Project, the upgrading of Kabba General Hospital to a specialist hospital, the infrastructural development at Kogi State University, Kabba, and the ongoing drainage projects. According to him, the projects were not merely statistics but tangible developments that had improved the lives of the people. He said the community was therefore united in its support for Governor Ododo, declaring that “from 2027, there is no vacancy in Lugard House,” while assuring that Kabba would support the APC from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu down to the local government level.
High Chief Alegbemi, however, used the occasion to present some critical needs of the community, appealing to the Governor to intervene in the reconstruction of some of their roads.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, Hon. Barr. Zacheous Dare Michael, said the gathering was historic, describing it as the first time in more than two decades that the Council of Chiefs across the 14 families of Owe Kabba had come together in one location to unanimously declare support for the Governor.
He highlighted projects including major investments in Kogi State University, erosion-control interventions, primary healthcare facilities, markets and the remodelling of the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Secretariat, saying the projects had strengthened the community’s confidence in the Ododo administration.
Also speaking, former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Matthew Kolawole, said the people of Kabba had seen sufficient evidence of the Governor’s commitment to their development and would remain united behind the APC.
The Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers to the Governor, Hon. Bode Adeyemi, similarly recalled the community’s support for Ododo during the 2023 election, saying the Governor had rewarded that confidence with visible projects across Owe land.
The delegation therefore pledged to mobilise massively for the re-election of President Tinubu and Governor Ododo, expressing confidence that the administration’s development record would translate into stronger electoral support.
