Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has dismissed rumors of a political rift between him and the member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, describing the lawmaker as his leader and political partner.
Governor Ododo made the clarification over the weekend during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Faleke Political Vanguard at the Government House in Lokoja.
Addressing the executive members of the group, Ododo stated that demanding governance schedules had restricted frequent social engagements, adding that such administrative demands should not be misinterpreted as political discord.
“I want people to know that we are together; we don’t have differences. He is my leader and he is my partner. I have been saying it, and I owe nobody any apology,” Ododo declared.
Recalling Faleke’s support during past electoral litigation, the governor commended the federal lawmaker for directing his political structures across Kogi State to support the current administration.
He assured the delegation of continued administrative support while warning politicians against inciting youth violence or creating artificial divisions across communities for political expediency.
Earlier in his remarks, the Coordinator of the Faleke Political Vanguard, Mr. Alamoh Kehinde Samuel, stated that the group—comprising loyalists of the late former Governor Abubakar Audu and Hon. Faleke—was visiting to reaffirm its alignment with the state executive administration.
Samuel highlighted key achievements of the Ododo administration, including the renovation of 88 primary healthcare centers, the establishment of a psychiatric unit at the Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, regular payment of civil service salaries, and ongoing road infrastructure projects.
He disclosed that the Vanguard had established operational structures across all 21 local government areas and 239 political wards in Kogi State, targeting a grassroots membership of 23,900 to mobilize support for Governor Ododo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Kogi State Special Advisers’ Forum, Hon. Bode Adeyemi, commended the group for its organizational discipline and contribution to grassroots mobilization across the state.
