By Danjuma Amodu
Prominent Kogi East political figure and security expert, Chief Dr. Joseph Ameh Erico, has officially joined the race for the Kogi East Senatorial District seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, pledging to leverage his security background to end kidnapping and restore economic hope in the district.
Erico’s declaration, which climaxed at the Ankpa Township Stadium before a large crowd of APC stakeholders, capped a three-day consultation tour across the nine LGAs of Kogi East between April 24 and 26, 2026. Present were the APC Zonal Chairman, the Chairman of Ankpa Local Government, ward councillors, and party faithful.
FROM PRIVATE SECURITY TO PUBLIC SERVICE
Born in 1966 in Etutekpe, Olamaboro LGA, Erico holds a B.A. in English from the University of Dahomey-Calavi, Benin Republic, and M.Sc. in Business Administration from Pilgrims University, Burlington, NC, USA. He later obtained an Associate Professorship in Liberal and Criminology Studies from Trinity College, Seychelles.
He is the MD/CEO of Real Strikers Security Services Limited, a firm with branches nationwide that employs over 9,000 Nigerians.
His security credentials include training in Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and the United States. He is a member of the International Institute of Professional Security, IIPS, and the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria, ALPSPN.
PHILANTHROPY BEFORE POLITICS
Before venturing into politics, Erico was widely known for philanthropy across Kogi East. He provided boreholes in most LGAs in Kogi East. Reports say he paid salaries of PDP executives across the 21 LGAs, renovated party offices, and bankrolled nomination forms for 25 House of Assembly aspirants. Groups also credit him with scholarships for indigent students and support for widows and orphans in Olamaboro.
In September 2025, the Ejeh of Ofu, HRH Alhaji Akwu Obaje, conferred on him the traditional title “Unana Ejeh” for “contributions to the growth and development of Igala land and Kogi State.”
POLITICAL TRAJECTORY
Erico is no stranger to Kogi politics. He was a frontline PDP governorship aspirant for the November 2, 2019 election, campaigning on tackling poverty, non-payment of salaries, and insecurity. He later defected to the APC and was received by then-Deputy Governor Edward Onoja in Olamaboro LGA. He has since established himself as a go-to party member with problem-solving acumen.
He now joins a crowded APC field for 2027 that includes the incumbent Senator, Jibrin Isah Echocho, Dr. Kashim Yunusa Akor, Dr. Tim Diche, and ex-Commissioner Sani Ogu Salisu, with more party members still weighing their options. The party commenced the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms on April 28, 2026.
“SECURITY FIRST” AGENDA, EYES SYNERGY WITH COAS
Addressing supporters, Erico said his Senate bid is anchored on “security, job creation, and effective representation.” As a criminology expert, he vowed to deploy his experience to “turn the tide on kidnapping and other vices” ravaging Kogi East, where armed groups have abducted farmers, royals, and travelers.
Stakeholders point to a potential synergy with the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, who hails from Kogi State and Kogi East Senatorial District.
The Kogi East Elders Council, KEEC, described Shaibu’s appointment as “a round peg in a round hole” and noted his “hard work and dedication to service have been inspirational to many in Kogi East.”
Erico told supporters that collaboration with the military high command and community intelligence would be “critical to ending the reign of terror on our roads and in our forests.”
ENDORSEMENT DRAMA REFLECTS FLUID KOGI POLITICS
The race has not been without drama. An electorate identified as “Emperor Trillions” on social media captured the shifting loyalties in a post that has since gone viral:
“Bello endorsed Erico this morning. A few hours later, he endorsed Echocho. Yesterday he endorsed Hon. Sam Aro for Kogi West, and today he has endorsed Karimi. Kogi politics can be unpredictable.”
Such shifting endorsements underscore the fluid nature of Kogi politics.
An observer likened the trend to traditional rulers who receive and endorse every aspirant that visits their palace.
“The door of a party leader is open to all aspirants under his party until after the primary. For traditional rulers, it remains open until a winner emerges, since all the aspirants are their subjects,” the observer noted.
In this vein, the APC Zonal Chairman, Kogi East, Hon. Abdul Ogwu Alhassan, had earlier issued a disclaimer urging members to disregard claims of endorsement, insisting the race remains open and will be decided by primaries.
WHAT HE’S PROMISING
At his consultation before declaring interest, Erico pledged to:
Tackle insecurity using his background as a security consultant to push for more Forward Operating Bases and community policing.
Create jobs through small-scale industries and private sector partnerships, leveraging his record as a major employer.
Prioritize education and infrastructure, and “give Kogi East a strong voice in the Senate.”
As the APC primary approaches, Erico is positioning himself as a “tested businessman and security expert” with the grassroots network and federal contacts to “restore peace and dignity” to Kogi East, while the incumbent Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho and other aspirants prepare for what is shaping up to be a keenly contested primary.
