Smart Adeyemi, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has announced his intention to run for governor of the state.
On Monday, the Senator paid N50 million for his expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
While speaking with reporters after picking up his forms, Adeyemi stated that he has the necessary experience to govern the state.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to Yahaya Bello, the incumbent Governor of the state, Abdulkarim Asuku, and a serving House of Representatives member, James Faleke, are said to be interested in running for the office.
“I am going to contest for governor of Kogi state. I have enough experience of what governance should be and have challenges of governance. I have been lucky to represent my state in the senate three times,” Adeyemi said.
“It is to my credit that I am one of the lawmakers that have sponsored the highest number of bills passed into law. I have the courage to lead and fight for the survival of the less privileged.
“I am exposed enough to give the best to our people. In politics, people contest for varied interests.
“Some of our contests are to see what value we can add to the lives of others and improve on what has been achieved.
“Some other aspirants have also collected the form but I am the aspirant to beat as far as required support and goodwill across the state are concerned.”
Adeyemi is currently serving a third term as senator.
He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the first two terms and the third on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The legislator was a two-term president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) before going into politics.