- The Imane Renaissance publicly declared support for SDP candidate Gowon Enenche, known as G-1, ahead of the Ankpa Federal Constituency election
- The group disputed a claim by Mohammed Edoka that Imane youths across Nigeria had unanimously endorsed incumbent lawmaker Halims Ibrahim for a third term
- Imane Renaissance president Usman Agada challenged Edoka to name a single project Halims Ibrahim delivered in Imane during his eight years in the House of Representatives
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering metro, government policies and international affairs.
Lokoja, Kogi State - The Imane Renaissance has thrown its full weight behind Gowon Enenche, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the Ankpa, Omala and Olamaboro Federal Constituency, while rejecting claims that Imane youths have collectively backed the re-election of incumbent lawmaker Halims Ibrahim.
The group’s position was outlined in a statement signed by its National President, Usman Agada, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and made exclusively available to Legit.ng. The statement was a direct response to a video in which Mohammed Edoka reportedly claimed that Imane youths nationwide had unanimously endorsed Halims Ibrahim for a third term in the House of Representatives.
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Agada described the claim as false and offensive, saying no individual has the authority to project such a unanimous political stance on behalf of an entire community without a verifiable collective mandate.
"The claim is not only untrue, fabricated, deceitful and misleading, but also very offensive to the sensibilities of an average Imanian whose country home has not felt the impact of Hon. Halims' representation in the last eight years," Agada said.
Imane's grievances over 'neglect'
The group pointed to what it described as years of marginalisation dating back to Nigeria's return to constitutional democracy in 1999, arguing that the community has received little in terms of government presence or development projects from its elected representatives.
Agada went further, challenging Edoka and those aligned with him to cite a single project the incumbent lawmaker had delivered to any part of Imane throughout his tenure.
"We dissociate ourselves from and debunk whatever claim links all Imane youths to the kangaroo endorsement of a parliamentarian that has no single project in Imane in the last eight years," Agada declared. "We challenge Dr. Edoka and his co-travellers to point at a single project that their candidate has executed in any part of Imane."
The statement also criticised a pattern in which elected officials allegedly neglect the community between election cycles and return only when votes are needed.
Group declares absolute support for G-1
The Imane Renaissance described Enenche, a businessman and humanitarian, as a son and kinsman who has shown greater commitment to community development than the incumbent, arguing that representation must be measured by tangible impact.
"Since elected representatives within the Ankpa Federal Constituency have relegated Imane to the background and never considered us as a people or community that deserves government presence or projects, we have resolved to stand behind our son, brother and kinsman, Hon. Gowon Enenche, popularly called G-1," the statement read.
Agada closed with a call to Imanians at home and abroad to disregard any attempts to misrepresent the community's political position.
"Our support for our son, Hon. Gowon Enenche of the SDP, is total and absolute," he said. "A vote for Hon. Enenche is a vote for development, progress and advancement of our kingdom that has suffered years of neglect."
The allegations about Halims Ibrahim's record and the claims attributed to Edoka were not independently verified. No response from Halims Ibrahim or Edoka was available at the time of this report.
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The inauguration took place under the leadership of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
Source: Legit.ng