Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday welcomed former Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, and several prominent opposition figures into the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a major political shift in the state.
The reception, held at Muhammadu Buhari Square in Lokoja, brought together defectors from the PDP, SDP, ADC, and other parties.
Wada’s move, along with that of other influential leaders, was widely described as a significant boost for the ruling party.
Shettima, addressing the crowd, said the development signaled “a new chapter” for both the APC in Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.
“It gladdens my heart to see good governance at play. We are the confluence of progressives,” he said. “What is happening in APC is more of a coalition of who is who in Kogi and Nigeria. You have joined the family that brings peace and progress to people of Nigeria, and you will not regret coming into the progressives’ fold.”
The vice president added that he would relay the message of the day to President Bola Tinubu, declaring, “The message from the confluence state today is that President Bola Tinubu’s victory in 2027 is total.”
Shettima praised the former governor, Yahaya Bello, for what he described as a solid foundation that the current administration of Governor Ahmed Ododo is building upon. APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, later presented the party flag to Wada, applauding Kogi residents for “speaking with one voice.”
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Wada said the APC had demonstrated that it is steering the country in the right direction. He pointed to the fuel subsidy removal as an example, saying it was “already yielding positive results in economy recovery by stabilising the naira against the dollar.”
“The dividends of democracy are evident, and with these achievements, we take a bold step to cross over to the APC today,” Wada said. He thanked President Tinubu for “bringing down food prices, stabilising our currency and strengthening the naira,” promising that the new entrants would work for the party’s success.
Governor Ododo, who formally introduced the new members, described them as influential grassroots leaders whose entrance into the APC further proves that “Kogi belongs to the APC.” He also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for supporting development projects across the state.
“President Tinubu is my father and I am proud to be his son. He is a true leader, who has consistently shown me how to be a good leader,” Ododo said. “I am sure Nigeria will be great again under his leadership.”
Kogi APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, went as far as saying Tinubu would not need to campaign in the state for his second-term bid, insisting that his victory there was already secure.
Among the defectors were the SDP’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate, Chief Sam Abenemi; former Speaker of the Kogi Assembly, Alfa Imam; and three serving lawmakers—Bode Ogunmola (PDP, Ogori-Magongo), Idowu Ibikunle (ADC, Yagba West), and Sunday Daku (PDP, Bassa).
The rally drew party stalwarts, including former Governor Yahaya Bello, Senator Sunday Karimi, members of the Kogi Assembly, political appointees, and supporters from all 21 local government areas of the state.
