Kogi State Government workers and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s re-election project.

Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, Hon. Bode Adeyemi, Chairman of the Combined State Government Appointees Forum, said the endorsement was necessary given the exceptional performance of the President in the last two years.

According to Adeyemi, “The current presidency has drawn Nigeria out of the negative economic, security, infrastructure, education, and healthcare rating and stabilised the system into one that is forward-looking and promising.”

He added that the policy direction of the government has brought Nigeria back from the woods and put it on the path of unstoppable progress towards shared prosperity for all Nigerians.

The Kogi officials praised Tinubu for his achievements, including the removal of subsidies on petroleum products, allocation of huge resources to sub-national governments, and various infrastructure development projects.

They also commended Governor Ododo’s humane and egalitarian leadership, which has turned around the well-being of the people and made Kogi one of the fastest-growing states.

The appointees vowed to use their numbers, strategic positions, and political weight to “deliver 239,000 votes to President Tinubu and all the 2027 candidates of the party in the state”.

They announced the creation of the “Kogi Continuity Mandate” as the political organisation under which they will mobilise electorates for the actualisation of the Tinubu-Ododo continuity mandate.

Governor Ododo was adopted as the Grand Patron of the new organisation, while the Deputy Governor, Joel Salifu, was named Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The group also constituted various committees, including a political committee, pet projects committee, and media committee, to drive their mobilisation efforts.

The combined forum of appointees, comprising the Forum of Commissioners, Forum of Special Advisers, Forum of Senior Special Assistants, Forum of Local Government Special Assistants, and Forum of Ward Special Assistants, made a formal endorsement and declaration of support for President Tinubu and Governor Ododo’s continuity in office.

They pledged to “mobilise 239,000 traceable votes for the party in 2027”.

A fight broke out on Sunday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe.

Top party officials, including the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and the North-East Vice Chairman, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, were forced to leave under tight security.

The clash started after Salihu publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election without mentioning Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Soon after his speech, delegates began shouting and threatening Salihu, prompting security officers to rush him out of the venue.

When Ganduje later took the stage, he also failed to acknowledge Shettima in his 10-minute speech.

His remarks, which praised President Tinubu’s leadership, further worsened the mood in the hall.

Angry APC members began to boo and jeer him, with some seen dragging at his blue Agbada.Security operatives quickly surrounded Ganduje and helped him out of the meeting before the crowd could get violent.

Attempts by other party leaders to calm the situation did little to stop the chaos.

The event, which was meant to project unity ahead of the 2027 elections, ended abruptly as tempers could not be brought under control.

The incident has added fuel to growing rumours that the APC might replace Vice President Shettima with a Christian Northerner in 2027 to balance religious representation on the ticket.

Former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, is reportedly being considered, although no official announcement has been made.

The party now faces the task of managing internal divisions as it prepares for another round of national elections.

• Nyesom Wike with President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says that even though the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, is not yet a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party is open to receiving him whenever he decides to switch.

Tinubu stated this when he commissioned the Arterial Road N16 (Shehu Shagari Way) from Ring Road One (Nnamdi Azikiwe Way) to Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Road) and some other roads in Katampe District.

The president noted that with Wike, APC will continue to be in a joyous mood, while the party’s rivals will continue to writhe in pain.

He said, “We have somebody in Nyesom Wike. He is not a member of my party. Not yet.

But the day he changes his mind and registers with the Progressives, we will welcome him because we will enjoy him singing ‘as e dey pain them, e dey sweet us”.