By Danjuma Amodu
Lokoja was agog on Saturday as the Kogi State CityBoy Movement staged a convergence of party, government and grassroots interests, holding a Town Hall at the Glass House, Government House, a membership drive at the State Secretariat and an empowerment programme for beneficiaries from 21 local government areas received sewing machines and other livelihood-support items.
Leading the national delegation was the Director-General of the CityBoy Movement, Hon. Oluwatosin Francis Shoga, accompanied by Deputy Director-General/Coordinator, Hon. Favour Abayomi; Deputy Director-General, Operations, Princess Atika Ajanah; North Central Coordinator, Hon. Yahya Sarki; and Director, Community Engagement, Amb. Fatima Yusuf.
The delegation expressed satisfaction with the turnout and level of organisation witnessed across the different activities, with Shoga commending the Kogi structure for the work undertaken so far and urging the leadership to sustain the momentum.
Shoga noted that the level of participation was a strong indication of the organisational capacity being built in the state. He referenced the support recorded from Kogi during the previous election cycle and said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was particularly interested in the state’s continued mobilisation ahead of 2027.
He further recalled the commitment by the Kogi leadership to deliver one million votes and, judging from the crowd at the town hall, said the eventual figure could exceed that projection. He commended the State Director, Hon. Ogah Mark Okpanachi, with the charge: “Well done. Keep up the good work. Tinubu is watching, and the national leadership of the CityBoy Movement is watching.”
Princess Atika Ajanah also expressed satisfaction with the turnout and activities, pledging continued support for the Kogi chapter. She described Kogi as “my own” and said she would do everything within her capacity to ensure that the movement continues to thrive under the leadership of Okpanachi.
Speaking on the wider political objective of the movement, Sarki commended the Kogi structure and expressed confidence in its leadership and mobilisation capacity. He urged members to sustain their grassroots engagement and increase mobilisation in support of President Tinubu and the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
On the government side, the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Dr. Folashade Arike Ayoade, represented Governor Ododo and conveyed the Governor’s goodwill and support to the gathering. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatimah Momoh, represented the First Lady, Hajia Sefinat Ododo, while also conveying goodwill to the movement and its members.
In his response, Okpanachi thanked the national leadership for making the journey to Kogi and said the turnout was only an indication of what the chapter was building. He disclosed that the Kogi structure currently has more than 80,000 registered members, including registrations already captured and those awaiting final entry into the central database.
He pledged that the chapter would continue to inform, engage, empower and mobilise across the 21 local government areas, while seeking stronger collaboration and support from the national leadership. He reiterated the chapter’s one-million-vote target and declared that the Kogi CityBoy Movement was ready for the task ahead.
The three-pronged outing, featuring political dialogue at the Glass House, massive membership expansion at the State Secretariat and livelihood support within the Government House has strengthened the re-election bids of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo ahead of the 2027 general elections. The initiative underscored the Kogi chapter’s strategy of combining mobilisation, organisation and empowerment as it positions itself as a key structure for the realisation of both mandates.
