By Abu Micheal.
In the politics of Kogi West, and particularly in Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, there is a name that resonates with respect in strategy meetings, in community gatherings, and across party structures. It is a name that commands influence with or without a ballot paper. That name is Prince Matthew Kolawole.
The immediate past Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly and currently Executive Director, Administration at KOSODA, Prince Kolawole is a politician, a businessman, and above all, a man deeply loved by his people.
He is accessible to a fault. He is a strategist who delivers when the unusual must be done. And that has remained his winning factor, anytime, any day.
What sets Prince Kolawole apart is not just his profile but his connection with the people. As Speaker, he was known for his open-door leadership. Constituents, party faithful, and even critics could reach him.
That accessibility earned him a loyalty that has endured beyond office. Today at KOSODA, he has carried that same spirit into governance, ensuring that development and government presence are felt at the grassroots.
In Ijumu Federal Constituency, his influence has taken on a different dimension. In recent months, he has rolled out wide-scale empowerment for constituents — supporting small businesses, intervening in education, and providing direct welfare to families.
His philanthropic gestures cut across party lines because his philosophy of service is not seasonal.
He is also one of the key financiers of the APC in the Federal Constituency. At a time when structure and resources determine the strength of a party, Prince Kolawole has remained a self-made, independent-minded party man who has kept the financial war chest alive. Party leaders in Kogi West know what this means: when campaigns get tough, when logistics break down, when morale needs a lift, Prince Kolawole’s intervention turns things around.
The conversation around 2027 is already gathering momentum in Kogi State. It is about continuity, consolidation, and capacity. While Prince Kolawole may not be on the ballot, to consider him a pushover would be to misread the politics of Kogi West. With the goodwill he enjoys, the network he has built, and the resources he commands, he stands as a rallying point for the APC in Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu and across the senatorial district.
He bridges the old and the new, government and the people, strategy and delivery. His accommodating style of politics has made him a unifier, while his delivery record has made him indispensable. That is why, within APC circles in the state, he is regarded as a very necessary tool — the quiet engine that oils the winning machine.
As Executive Director at KOSODA, he is helping drive development from within government. As a party leader, he is helping keep the APC united and strong. As a son of the soil, he is keeping hope alive in homes across Kogi West.
Prince Matthew Kolawole represents a brand of leadership built on service, sustained by strategy, and powered by love for the people. The ballot may not bear his name in 2027, but the outcome in Kogi West, and the strength of the APC in the state, will in no small measure bear his imprint.
