He expressed optimism that the former Lagos State governor and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima will win presidency easily in Kogi State. Excerpt:
Question: What is your name?
Answer: My name is Major General Patrick Ademu Akpa (rtd). I hail from Ojibogo – Okenyi in Ankpa Local Government Council of Kogi State. I am a businessman and politician as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC) persuasion.
Question: Which political appointment were you offered recently ahead of 2023 general election?
Answer: We have been carrying out political actions at individual and collective levels, but as far as Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council is concerned, I was appointed to serve as a member of Support Group Coordination (North Central). I am also the Elder for the Grassroots Independent Campaign Council in Kogi State.
Question:. You are a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Kogi State. Do you think your party has done well in Kogi in terms of providing dividends of democracy that your support group could face them to campaign?
Answer: In the proposed campaign, we are not going to talk only about dividends of democracy. We will also talk about the weakness of the opposition and other strategies to be put in place that will ensure that we win the election. It is clear that the APC will win the 2023 elections and our candidate would be sworn I as the president in May, 2023.
Question: How would you assess the thinking of electorate in Kogi State with regards to Tinubu/Shettima candidacy?
Answer: I am from Kogi State; I am in constant touch with the people, the electorate in Kogi East, especially the Igala people. Tinubu/Shettima are household names in Nigeria. Tinubu is our main selling point and it’s easy to market their candidacy.
They are sure to reset and unify the country towards prosperity.
Question:. Looking at APC structure in Kogi State, what are the likely challenges, i.e. inequity that may affect the needed cooperation of party supporters in working for the success in 2023 general election?
Answer: The answer to any question that concerns equity and equality especially in a State like Kogi will not be an easy one. The State is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. The State is a microcosm of Nigeria. The three zones, which are East, Central and West Senatorial districts are not equal in size and issues like this are factored into the political campaign structure in the State.
The State seats right at the centre of the country and shares boundary with about nine States. Leadership is a vital ingredient in working for the success of the party, the campaign has been so structured to deliver our candidate in 2023 general election.
Question:. What is the voting strength of each Senatorial flank currently and would APC galvanize this to its advantage?
Answer: As I stated earlier, the three Senatorial zones are not equal in size. The Local Government Councils are also different in size. For example the number of registered voters in Ogori Mangogo in Kogi Central is less than 10% of those in Ankpa Local Government Council in Kogi East.
The East has over 50% of the registered voters in the State, followed by the Western District with 26% registered voters and Central with about 24% registered voters.
We know how to mobilise the people to vote for the APC. Asiwaju himself is a product that is easily saleable to the various ethnicities in the State.
