With the 2023 general elections over, attention has now shifted to Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States for the off-season governorship elections.
In Kogi State, over ten members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lined up to succeed incumbent Governor Yayaha Bello who is completing his second tenure in office.
However, on Thursday, Governor Bello endorsed the state Auditor General, Usman Ododo as his preferred candidate.
It was reported that the Chairman of the election committee, Governor Mohammed Bello-Matawale confirmed that a “gentlemanly agreement” was reached.
Consequently, Deputy Governor Edward Onoja, ex-Finance Commissioner David Adebanji-Jimoh, Ashiru Idris, Okala Yakubu, Abdulkareem Asuku (Chief of Staff) and Accountant-General Momoh Jibrin withdrew from the race.
Bello’s endorsement of Ododo, who is from the same Kogi Central and of the Ebira ethnic group, confirmed the suspicion many had that the governor was planning 16/16.
At the conclusion of the primary election, Ododo emerged as the APC flagbearer.
Ododo polled a total of 78,704 votes to defeat six other contestants in the governorship race.
He defeated the distant runner-up, Barr. Mohammed Ozigi Salami, who got 1,506 votes, while the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, polled the least number of votes – 311
