Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Kogi State, Alex Ali, has called for increased grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence in the party's chances of securing support across the state and urging members to sustain engagement with voters, particularly young people, as the party prepares for the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly elections.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, Ali said the party was working to mobilise support for its candidates at all levels, from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to its senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates. "We are working to mobilise support for our candidates at all levels, from President Bola Tinubu to our senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates. We are confident that our efforts will translate into massive support for the APC in Kogi State," he said. He urged party members and supporters to sustain engagement with voters, particularly youths, as the APC prepares for the elections.
The APC chieftain praised Governor Usman Ododo's leadership, saying his administration's engagement with stakeholders, including opposition members, had contributed to its acceptance among some party leaders and youth groups. He described the governor's approach as calm and inclusive, noting that his willingness to listen to stakeholders had strengthened support for his administration. Ali cited the establishment of a military barracks in Anyigba and ongoing infrastructure projects in the health and education sectors as initiatives that had strengthened public confidence in the state government. "The visible presence of government in the state has endeared citizens to this administration. One good turn deserves another," he said. He also identified regular salary payments, investments in security infrastructure and efforts to curb political violence as factors he believed could influence the party's campaign ahead of the elections.
On the legislative contests, Ali highlighted the senatorial aspiration of Chief Joseph Ameh Erico, whom he described as a security expert, saying his ambition was significant to the region. He also expressed support for other APC aspirants, including Hon. Victor Uchola, Hon. Abdullahi Halim and Paul Gowon, citing their experience and capacity to represent their respective constituencies. Ali called on APC members, youth groups and other stakeholders to intensify voter engagement and mobilisation ahead of 2027, urging them to sustain contact with communities across the state. He maintained that communicating the government's record and addressing local concerns would be central to the party's mobilisation efforts in support of Tinubu, Erico and other APC candidates in Kogi State.
The call for grassroots mobilisation is consistent with a broader pattern of political activity in Kogi State and the wider North-Central geopolitical zone ahead of the 2027 elections. In October 2026, governors of the six North-Central states and senior APC officials pledged massive support for President Tinubu's re-election at a mega rally organised by the North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Network in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the region would target 85 per cent of the votes for the President, while Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Sabi Abdullahi said mobilisation efforts would continue until election day. The North-Central zone, comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, is a key political battleground that played a pivotal role in the APC's victory in the 2023 presidential election.
In Kogi State specifically, the party has intensified its mobilisation efforts in recent months. In August 2026, Governor Ododo charged political appointees across the state to return to their respective constituencies and commence aggressive grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying appointees were strategically positioned to explain the policies and programmes of both the state and federal governments. In September, political appointees from Lokoja Local Government Area pledged to mobilise support for Tinubu, Governor Ododo and all APC candidates, setting up a strategy and mobilisation committee to double the party's 2023 votes. In October, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, donated 25 vehicles to the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement in Kogi State to boost grassroots mobilisation for the President's re-election bid, urging Nigerians to re-elect Tinubu so that he could consolidate ongoing economic reforms and development initiatives.
The political context of the mobilisation is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. Kogi State, with its substantial voting population and strategic location in the North-Central zone, will be one of the key battlegrounds in the presidential contest. The APC has consistently expressed confidence in its ability to retain power, with the party's National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, leading rallies and mobilisation efforts across the country. The party's campaign council is scheduled to be inaugurated on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, with the formal flag-off rally in Kaduna on October 24, followed by rallies in Port Harcourt and Maiduguri.
For the people of Kogi State, the APC's mobilisation efforts represent both an opportunity to engage with the government's record and a test of whether the party can translate its organisational strength into electoral success. For Ali, the call for sustained voter engagement is a recognition that elections are won at the grassroots, and that communicating the government's achievements in infrastructure, security and workers' welfare will be critical to the party's campaign. As he put it, the visible presence of government in the state has endeared citizens to the administration, and one good turn deserves another. The coming months will determine whether that message resonates with voters in Kogi State and whether the APC's mobilisation machinery delivers the support it has promised for President Tinubu and other candidates in 2027.
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