Ahead of November 16th governorship election in Kogi state, a political group under the aegis of Okara Political Group Thursday, organised two million man match in support of reelection bid of Governor Yahaya Bello and his Deputy , Edward David Onoja in Lokoja the state capital.
The man match which covered three kilometers from Lokongoma phase 1 to Government House, Lokoja was attended by members of the group , APC supporters drawn from the 21 local government area of the state.
Addressing the crowd in government house, the state governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello assured the supporters that their effort and struggle to return the All Progressive Congress back to Lugard House would not be in vain, appealing to them to conduct themselves peacefully and orderly during the campaign and on the day of the governorship election.
Governor Bello who was represented by his Chief of Staff Hon. Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku promised to consolidate on his achievements if given another mandate, assuring that youth and women empowerment, infrastructure development, provision of basic social amenities as well as security of life and property of the citizenry.
“I am assuring you that if you do the needful in the forthcoming governorship election I will not forget any of you. It is a fact that since the creation of Kogi state in 1991 this is the first administration that recognised youth in terms of appointment and we will do more in our second tenure by the special grace of God almighty”
The organiser of the man match who is also the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to the state governor , Hon. Abdulmumuni Okara said the forum is a campaign outfit to mobilised Kogi people to vote for GYB/CEDO to enable them continued good governance in the state.
“This administration has embarked on rigorous civil service reform , construct roads across the three senatorial districts, provide free medical outreach to the rural dwellers, rehabilitated structures in both primary and secondary schools.
“Governor Bello led administration have performed tremendously under four years and the people were prevailing on him to come back and consolidate on those achievements” he said
He appealed to the youth in the state not to allow politicians to use them as agents of electoral violence , noting that as youth they have the constitutional right to vote and be voted for, urging them to shun violence of any type during the election.
Okara noted that the forum on Wednesday organised a special prayer for the state and the peaceful conduct of elections , saying with God will be peaceful and rancour free.
