* Pledges total loyalty.
By Abu Micheal
For many years, members of the South-South community in Kogi State said they lived quietly in the background.
Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa sons and daughters who had made Kogi their home were present, hardworking, and law-abiding, yet largely unseen in the affairs of government.
That changed on the 17th day of August, 2026, when Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Chief Servant, reached out and gave them what they had long desired: a sense of belonging.
Today, that gesture has turned into a bond. The South-South residents in Kogi State are not just grateful. They are committed. Come rain, come shine, they say, their votes and their loyalty belong to Governor Ododo.
In a statement that captures the mood across Lokoja, Kabba, Okene, Ankpa and other towns where South-South families have put down roots, community leaders described the Governor as a God-sent leader who looked beyond tribe and tongue to locate a people who over the years had stakes, contributed so much to the socio economic development of the State, but had remained untapped for too long.
“We were a diamond in the rough until he cleaned us up,” one of the leaders, Hon. Dare Anyaru, SSA Grassroot Mobilization noted. “Now that he has made us veritable and inclusive in his administration, we will go with him through thick and thin in his political journey.”
That inclusion is not just symbolic. It is being matched with governance that touches everyday life. In less than two years, the Ododo administration has embarked on projects and policies that have earned wide commendation across Kogi.
In infrastructure, the Governor has prioritized the completion and rehabilitation of critical roads that connect communities to markets and hospitals, from the Ganaja flyover in Lokoja to township roads in the three senatorial districts, easing movement for traders, students and workers, including thousands of South-South residents who run businesses across the state.
In health, primary healthcare centres have been upgraded and equipped, with free medical outreaches and drug supplies reaching rural communities. The administration’s focus on maternal and child health has brought relief to families who previously traveled long distances for basic care.
In education, the government has invested in the renovation of schools, payment of WAEC and NECO fees for indigent students, and support for tertiary institutions to keep them running. Bursaries and scholarships have also been extended to students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that no child is left behind because of background.
For workers and pensioners, Governor Ododo has maintained prompt payment of salaries and pensions, a departure from the delays of the past. He has also prioritized civil servants’ welfare, with training and improved working conditions that have restored morale in the public service.
In agriculture and economic empowerment, the administration has rolled out support for farmers with inputs and mechanization, while young people and women have benefited from grants, skills acquisition programs and support for small businesses.
Security has also received attention, with investment in logistics for security agencies and community policing initiatives that have helped keep Kogi relatively peaceful amid national challenges.
It is this record of visible and verifiable performance that has convinced the South-South community that Governor Ododo deserves another term. “Beyond locating us, we must not lose sight of what he has done,” Kingsley Oshilim, the Senior Special Assistant also on grassroots Mobilization said. “His administration has a human face. It is people-oriented. That is why we remain committed to his laudable policies.”
For a people who once felt on the margins, the Governor’s approach has been deeply personal. He has met with them, listened to them, and carried them along in appointments and programs. In return, they are offering what matters most in politics: loyalty and votes.
“To Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, we say thank you,” the statement concluded. “For the Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa residents in Kogi State, our total support belongs to you. Come rain, come shine, we will stand with you”, says Lucky Oba, another SSA on Grassroots Mobilization.
In Kogi’s history, no administration has made the South-South residents feel this seen. And in Governor Ododo, they believe they have found not just a Governor, but a Chief Servant who understands that true leadership is about bringing everyone in from the cold.
Concluding, Chief Alex Odiase another Senior Special Assistant said ” All we owe the present administration under the leadership of Gov Ododo is our prayers and encouragement for giving us a sense of belonging and make feel unknown in a state we have lived for about a century”.
