Usman Ododo, a former auditor general of local government in Kogi State, has won the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primary that just ended. The election was conducted directly in 239 wards across Kogi’s 21 local government areas.
The Secretary of the National APC Governorship Primary Committee, Patrick Obahiagbon, announced the results of the primary at the State Secretariat of the APC. He stated that Ododo received 78,704 votes to defeat the other six candidates, with 93,729 total registered voters and 83,419 total accredited voters. Yahaya Bello, the current governor, had backed Ododo a few days earlier.
Shaibu Audu received 763 votes, Stephen Ochen, a former minister of state, received 552 votes, Sanusi Ohiare, a former executive director of the Rural Electrification Agency, received 424 votes, and Smart Adeyemi, a current senator who represents Kogi West in the National Assembly, received 311 votes, according to Obahiagbon.
Salami Ozigi received 1,506 votes, Abubakar Achimugu received 1,159 votes, and Ahmed Ododo received the most votes with 78,704, according to Obahiagbon.
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Declaring the winner of the election, Obahiagbon stated that it was held in all 21 local government areas of the state and that all returning officers in charge of the poll peacefully tallied the results.
By virtue of the authority granted to the committee by Article 19 of the APC guidelines for the nomination of candidate for general election 2003, he said, “I, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, Secretary of Election Committee Kogi State, on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, Governor Bello Matawale of Zamfara State, hereby declare that Ahmed Usman Ododo, having received the majority of valid votes cast at the direct primary election held on the 14th day of April 2023 in Kogi state.
“He (Ahmed Usman Ododo) hereby returns as the duly elected governorship candidate of the APC for the November 2023 governorship election.”
