A Day Kogi Central Will Remember: The Historic One-million-man March For Tinubu
By: Mr. Moses Adedeji
November 19, 2022, stands as a memorable date in the political history of Kogi Central. On that day, the streets of Okene and surrounding communities became a theatre of political solidarity as thousands of supporters gathered for what was described by its organizers as the historic “One-Million-Man March” for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The march was more than a procession. For the organizers and participants, it was a public demonstration of grassroots political organization, enthusiasm and commitment to the presidential aspiration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2023 general elections.
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At the centre of the mobilization was Ambassador Abubakar Sanusi GAMJI, who at the time served as the Kogi State Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG). Under his leadership, supporters converged at Inike Field in Okene Local Government Area, setting the stage for a procession that would move through parts of Kogi Central.
From the take-off point, the procession moved for several kilometres, with supporters drawn from across the five Local Government Areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District: Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi and Ogori-Magongo.
The movement eventually reached the open field popularly associated with Dabras Hotel, Ebogogo, in Adavi Local Government Area, where the gathering continued.
For those who participated, the significance of the day went beyond the numbers on the streets. It was an expression of political identity and grassroots participation at a critical moment in Nigeria’s political calendar. Men and women, youths and community supporters, came together under a common political platform to make their voices heard.
THE GAMJI STORY: FROM MOBILIZARION TO POLITICAL STRUCTURE
The story of that historic march is also inseparable from the grassroots political journey of Ambassador Abubakar Sanusi GAMJI.
His supporters point to his sustained engagement with grassroots communities across Kogi Central and his role in building political structures around the Tinubu Support Group. The 2022 march became one of the public manifestations of that mobilization effort.
Following his assignment as TSG Coordinator for Kogi State during the 2023 presidential campaign, GAMJI continued his political activities beyond the election period. He subsequently established the GAMJI Political Network Central, developing a structure with coordinators across the five Local Government Areas of Kogi Central, alongside ward and unit coordinators.
The network has since continued its political activities around the All Progressives Congress (APC), including support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State and APC candidates at various levels.
A POLITICAL MEMORY THAT ENDURES
Political movements are often remembered not only by election results but also by the moments when ordinary citizens gather in large numbers to publicly identify with a cause.
For the organizers and participants of the November 19, 2022 march, that day remains one of those moments.
The sight of supporters leaving Inike Field, moving through Okene and onward toward Adavi, represented a significant display of grassroots political mobilization in Kogi Central. It captured a particular moment in the region’s political history one in which supporters sought to translate political conviction into visible public action.
Years may pass, political circumstances may change, and new chapters may be written, but historical memories are preserved by those who were there and those who continue to tell the story.
REMEMBERING NOVEMBER 19
The One-Million-Man March for Tinubu in Kogi Central is therefore remembered by its organizers as more than an event on a calendar. It is remembered as a milestone in the political mobilization that preceded the 2023 elections and as part of the grassroots journey that later gave rise to the GAMJI Political Network Central.
At the heart of that memory is a simple image: a crowd gathered at Inike Field, a procession moving through Kogi Central, and a political movement making its presence visible on the streets of Okene and Adavi.
November 19, 2022, remains a day etched in the memories of those who participated.
It was a day when political organization stepped out of meeting rooms and offices and onto the streets.
A day when grassroots supporters marched.
A day when Kogi Central made its voice heard.
And, for the men and women who were part of it, a day worth remembering.
Mr. Moses Adedeji is the LGA Coordinator,
GAMJI Political Network, Ogori- Magongo LGA, Kogi State.
