Kogi Labour Party Faces Major Setback as All Local Government Chairs Defect to APC

The Labour Party (LP) in Kogi State faced a major setback on Friday as all 21 of its Local Government Chairmen announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The defectors, along with numerous supporters, were warmly received by the state APC chairman, Abdullahi Bello, at the Lugard House in Lokoja.

Kayode Awe, the leader of the defectors, cited their decision to collapse their political structure into the APC as a means of supporting the party’s governorship candidate, Usman Ododo, in the upcoming November 11 governorship poll. Awe also expressed their realization that the LP was no longer a viable option in the state.

“I was in APC before I left to join the Labour Party. I am back today with more people, and we are ready to add value. LP got more than 76,000 votes in the last presidential election; we still have the same people who worked to achieve that feat,” stated Mr. Awe. He emphasized their intention to contribute their formidable structure to support the APC and Ododo in the upcoming elections.

Their decision to align with the APC was motivated by their shared commitment to the ‘Kogi Agenda,’ aimed at the state’s progress and development.

Jimba Emmanuel, the LP chairman for Bassa LGA and chairman of the LP Chairmen Forum, explained that a political party was merely a platform for attaining power. He justified their decision to abandon the LP by noting that the governorship candidate of the LP lacked the necessary qualities for leadership.

The Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Wemi Jones, praised the leadership and mobilization efforts of Kayode Awe, the leader of the “Obidient Movement,” for bringing about this significant shift in political allegiance.

Abdullahi Bello, the Kogi APC chairman, welcomed the defectors, emphasizing that the APC stood for development, equality, and had a robust reward system in place.