2027: Kogi PDP mobilises voters for Natasha’s return to Senate

The Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party campaign for the 2027 election in Kogi Central, Salami Etudaiye, has begun mobilisation of supporters in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State for the re-election of the senator representing the district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The mobilisation commenced on Thursday as PDP supporters, including youths, women and party loyalists, staged a solidarity road walk in Okehi in support of Akpoti-Uduaghan and other candidates of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the senator’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mike Idoko.

Kogi Central comprises Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, Okene and Ogori-Magongo local government areas.

The supporters said the road walk was aimed at strengthening the PDP’s grassroots mobilisation and rallying residents of the senatorial district behind the bid to return Akpoti-Uduaghan for a second term in the Senate.

Speaking during the road walk, Etudaiye, who is leading the PDP’s campaign structure in the senatorial district, described the mobilisation as evidence of what he called the party’s growing grassroots strength across Kogi Central.

He said Akpoti-Uduaghan’s first tenure had given the electorate an opportunity to assess her performance, capacity and style of representation, adding that the 2027 election would provide an opportunity to consolidate the gains recorded so far.

The people of Kogi Central have a choice to make, and that choice should be based on performance, capacity, courage and the ability to represent the collective interest of the people. Senator Natasha has demonstrated these qualities in her first tenure,” Etudaiye said.

Etudaiye argued that returning the senator for a second term would enable her to deepen her legislative representation, expand constituency-focused interventions and pursue programmes aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of residents of Kogi Central.

The campaign DG further urged voters in the district to look beyond political sentiments and consider what he described as the long-term interests of the people.

A second tenure is not simply about returning an individual to the office. It is about giving the people an opportunity to consolidate representation, experience and programmes that can have lasting impact. We are calling on our people across Kogi Central to unite behind Senator Natasha and all the PDP candidates,” he said.

He appealed to residents of the five local government areas to sustain peaceful political engagement and remain united as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

Similarly, a PDP stalwart, Bashir Haroon, described the turnout as a demonstration of the confidence the people had in Akpoti-Uduaghan and the party.

Haroon said residents of Okehi were using the procession to express their preference for the kind of representation they wanted in the National Assembly.

He said, “Okehi is standing firm with the PDP and with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. We have seen her commitment, we have seen her courage, and we have seen the way she has continued to identify with the people.

“This support is not about politics alone; it is about standing with a representative who has demonstrated that she understands the aspirations of her constituents.”

He urged communities across Kogi Central to remain united and ensure that their support for the senator translated into votes in the 2027 election.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate, has remained a prominent political figure in the district since assuming office, with her supporters citing her legislative engagements, constituency outreach and advocacy on issues affecting her constituents as reasons for seeking continuity.

Her supporters have also argued that her return for another term would allow her to build on her experience in the National Assembly and consolidate her influence in pursuing projects and interventions for the district.

According to the PDP campaign leadership, the proposed second-term agenda would focus on consolidating existing interventions while expanding opportunities in infrastructure, education, youth development, women empowerment, healthcare, skills acquisition and economic development across the district.