By Christiana Ekpa
The senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi has joined the race to take over from Governor Yahaya Bello, as he stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat yesterday, accompanied by his supporters to pick the governorship nomination and expression of interest forms.
While upbeat to defeat other aspirants, senator Adeyemi said he remains the best among all the contestants, adding that for fairness and equity, Kogi West should be allowed to produce the next governor of Kogi since the two other zones have occupied the position at different times.
According to him, of all the aspirants that had obtained expression of interest form of the APC for the governorship position, he is the most qualified in terms of exposure and wherewithal to turn things around for better Kogi State as far as good governance and genuine development are concerned.
He said “I joined the Kogi Guber race today with procurement of expression of interest form from our great party, APC.
“Some other aspirants have also collected the form but I am the aspirant to beat as far as required supports and goodwill across the state are concerned.
“I am the aspirant representing the Kogi people in the race while others are not and on the basis of this incontrovertible fact, I challenged other aspirants to public debate where they should tell Kogites and by extension Nigerians , what they have done for people of Kogi State in the past and what they want to do now.
“As for me, the proof of such is all of the various communities across the three senatorial districts in the State like road construction , sinking of boreholes , provision of Hospital beds and other health care delivery facilities across the three senatorial zones etc.
“My vision for Kogi State is total development – driven transformation being a State enormously endowed with solid minerals.
“People of Kogi State have no business with backwardness and poverty if the naturally endowed resources are well harnessed.
“Kogi State alone has 32 out of the 37 mineral resources in the country which are going to be galvanized for wealth creation and development in the state if elected as governor”.
He added that the various political stakeholders in the State , should for the purpose of equity , fairness and justice , cede the governorship position to Kogi West this time around since Kogi East and Central have produced governors.
