Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, in North Central Nigeria, has publicly endorsed Ahmed Ododo as his preferred choice among the 17 aspirants, contesting the governorship primary election in the state this weekend.
Bello, announced Ododo as his preferred choice at a stakeholders meeting he presided over at the state APC secretariat in Lokoja on Thursday Night.
Ododo hails from same Kogi Central Senatorial district where Bello also hails from.
Ahmed Ododo, Governor Bello’s Kinsman and a close ally, is currently Kogi State Auditor-General for Local Government.
Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja; Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Pharm. Mohammed Abdulkareem Asuku and a former Commissioner for Finance, Asiru Idris withdrew from the race to yield the ground for the emergence of Bello’s anointed candidate.
Deputy Governor Edward Onoja and other aspirants like Yakubu Yusuf Okala, David Adebanji Jimoh and Momoh Jibrin, all pledged allegiance to the choice of Mr. Ododo.
At a recent meeting in Lokoja, Governor Bello had said that, “my successor will come from among us. the system produced me, the system produced all of you in the executive because nobody will say that he bought the form by himself.
”So, the system also produced those that are serving today at various positions. the system will also produce the next governor.
“So, let nobody decieve you, let nobody think he can come from outside and jump inside this our ship. Na lie.
”Where were they when we were trying to build this ship? They tried to destroy it, and they are still moving around, some in Abuja, some are not even in the country at all, and they are eying the position here. We are waiting for them,” governor Bello remarked.
