Vice President Kashin Shetima, on Sunday, told residents of Kogi that voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 11 governorship election is as good as revamping the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

Mr Shettima, who made the declaration during the APC’s official flag-off campaign for the governorship election in Lokoja, also said, “A vote to our party means dredging the river Niger for developmental purposes for Kogi”.

He assured residents that the federal government was collaborating with foreign companies to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company and dredge River Niger.

“We shall, by God’s grace, dredge the river Niger in a bid to attract meaningful development in Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.

“Of course, all these can only come to fruition if you vote our gubernatorial candidate, Usman, come November 11, for our party to emerge victorious. You can not afford to have a state government that does not belong to the centre,” he said.

The vice president described President Bola Tinubu as a man of courage and conviction and pregnant with ideas on how to reposition the nation and Kogi, one of the frontier states in the North.

On the battered Ganaja road, he said Mr Tinubu had approved funds for its construction, stressing: “Be rest assured that Abuja-Lokoja-Okene and Kabba-Ilorin are also going to receive government attention to ease movement of the people.”

The APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, said residents of Kogi could testify of the APC government’s positivity under Governor Yahaya Bello’s tutelage.

He said Mr Bello has been able to transform Kogi and present a successful candidate in Mr Ododo who would succeed him in providing the desired infrastructure development.

The chairman added: “Since we cannot afford to have a stranger at the Lugard House, we should ensure we have APC at both the national and state levels in order to consolidate on the achievements of Gov. Yahaya Bello.”

On his part, Mr Bello thanked Mr Tinubu for providing the desired support that enabled him to perform and reposition the state to the present status.

(NAN)