Yahaya Bello’s preferred candidate, Ododo wins Kogi APC gov’ship ticket

Ahmed Ododo, the preferred candidate of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has emerged the winner of the governorship primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

This was announced by the Secretary of State’s party primary election committee, Patrick Obahiagbon.

He said Ododo had 78, 704 votes to defeat six other aspirants.

Salami Momodu had 1506 votes, Abubakar Yahaya-Ashemogu polled 1159 votes and Shaaibu Abubakar-Audu secured 763 votes.

Stephen Ocheni came up with 552 votes, Sanusi Ohiare got 424, and Smart Adeyemi had 311 votes.

83,419 out of 93,729 voters were accredited and took part in the election.

“Ododo, having scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the direct primary election conducted on April 14, 2023, in Kogi, is hereby declared the winner of the APC primary election 2023,” he said.

“Ahmed Usman-Ododo is hereby returned as the duly elected governorship candidate of APC for the November 2023 governorship election.”

Ododo who’s believed to be the preferred candidate of the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, was the former local government auditor-general in the state.

The deputy Governor, Edward Onojo and some others had recently withdrawn their governorship ambition after the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello reportedly endorsed Ododo.

As earlier reported by The Informant247, the APC had resolved to use direct primary election style to choose its governorship candidate for the State.

The direct primary election mode would enable members of the party to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice at the wards.

This came following the nullification of the delegates list which has been planned ahead of the primary election to choose a flagbearer for the party.

The Informant247 learned that the court has voided the congresses which produced the delegates over non-compliance with the electoral act.

A pro-Abubakar Audu-Faleke group in the party had condemned the delegates system earlier before the pronouncement of the court and suggested a direct primary election.

The new development was confirmed in a letter communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the acting national chairman of the party, Abubakar Kyari.

He said the party would after the exercise, organize a special congress for ratification of the candidate who gathers highest votes.

“We refer to our earlier letter dated January 25th, 2023, with reference no: APC/NHDQ/INEC/19/023/191,” NAN quoted Kyari as saying in the letter.

“Wherein we notified the commission of the mode of the primary election for the conduct of the gubernatorial primary election in Kogi.

“However, our great party, the APC, has reviewed the modalities for the conduct of the gubernatorial primary election in Kogi.

“And has, therefore, resorted to adopt the direct mode of the primary election instead of the indirect mode as earlier communicated.”

The Kogi State governorship election would take place on November 11, 2023.