Ododo’s Emergence As Kogi Governor-Elect Amid Stiff Opposition

Ibrahim Oyewale writes on the various hurdles faced by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Usman Ahmed Ododo, before emerging victorious in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll in Kogi State.

It was indeed a tortuous journey for the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ododo Ahmed Usman,  to Lugard House in Lokoja, the State capital.

Whatever God has destined, no human being can change it. If someone had earlier predicted or saw it coming, it would have been a different thing but  “no one’, including himself had an inkling of what the Almighty God has for him today as Kogi State Governor- elect.

His trajectory into political foray started like a play among other numerous Kogi state government officials who signified  interest to contest for the exalted position in the Confluence State.

But as fate would have it, Ododo Ahmed Usman, became a preferred aspirant who eventually won the party’s ticket after the APC’s party primary held in April, 2023.

Until this time, Ododo, a chartered accountant and MSc degree holder in Accounting was just the Auditor General of Kogi State Local government Service and has been part and parcel of the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration in the state.

Following his emergence as the APC candidate in the state, Ododo promised to continue to build, sustain the legacy and continuity of the work done by Governor Bello.

Ododo a charismatic leader began to woo the opposition from the day he was declared winner of APC ticket visiting all his co -contestants and asking them to join hands within him in a bid to move Kogi to next level.

As part of efforts to unite the people of Kogi State, Ododo also visited all the past leaders and stakeholders both at home and in diaspora. The candidate did not mince words to convince them in his bid to take the state to a higher pedestal. He also along with the party hierarchy and critical stakeholders transversed the three senatorial districts of the state for intensive campaigns.

Shortly after his emergence as the gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress in Kogi State, some of the aggrieved aspirants approached the court, claiming there was no APC  primary election in the State. But some later withdrew their cases at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Among those who withdrew the cases were the former Executive Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Sanusi Ohiare, and Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, who later left the party for the Social Democratic Party where he ran for the gubernatorial contest against Ododo.

However, another aspirant, Senator Smart Adeyemi, pursued his case to both the appellate and Supreme Court respectively. This, it was  gathered, created a lot of tension within  the party. This was sequel to long adjournment, but while the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the candidature of Ododo as the flag bearer, Senator Adeyemi still went on appeal to the Apex Court of the land, the Supreme Court.

While the case lasted it was a tension soaked period because it was the peak period for the electioneering campaigns and the election date was drawing nearer.

The Supreme Court finally nailed the coffin of the legal tussle on the 23rd of October 2023 when it affirmed that there was an APC primary election which duly produced Ododo Ahmed Usman as the party’s candidate.

Before this time, the electioneering campaign had begun in earnest with opposition being mounted by the day to ensure that Ododo didn’t not win the election. There is no doubt that the support by the State governor, Yahaya Bello became more intense and opposition parties engaged in fierce social media war and Campaign of calumny against the governor, claiming that a vote for Ododo was for Bello’s third term agenda.

Despite all the propaganda, the governor, party’s hierarchy and all supporters of the All Progressive Congress remained undaunted vowing to retain the number one exalted seat at Lugard House in Lokoja, the state capital. As a dogged fighter, Governor Bello took the party’s candidate to meet with all traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders in Kogi State. More so, Governor Bello was proud to introduce Ododo to everyone because of the litany of achievements of his over seven year-old administration in the State.

The political sagacity of Bello, the Star Governor as fondly called by his admirers, played  excellent role in winning last Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

Towards the tail end of the electioneering campaign, Governor Bello warned all the supporters of APC to refrain from any act capable of undermining the peace and tranquillity of the State. He noted emphatically that his administration had done enough in the areas of infrastructural development, Education, Health, Security,  Economy and other critical sectors in the state economy to win the governorship poll.

Even in the face of provocation during the electioneering campaigns, the governor was busy preaching peace  and appealing to the traditional chiefs to appeal to their various community to ensure peace reigns.

Political pundits had argued that the out going governor would do everything humanly possible to win the election, stressing that  the contest is between APC and APC, that those battling to oust the present administration were once members of the All Progressive Congress who left the party because they were aggrieved at one time or the other.

They added that sensing the danger of losing the election to the opposition within, Governor Bello intensified efforts towards ensuring that the APC governorship candidate is delivered as his successor t give room for continuity.

One of the biggest factors that aided the Ododo /APC to win the gubernatorial poll has to do with the APC being well rooted in Kogi Central senatorial district and since 2015 governorship election that produced the governor, the people in the senatorial district have followed APC religiously and have been supporting APC which accounted for the reasons why the electorate came out en masse to vote for their own son Ododo.

Secondly, the Kogi West factor – political observers in the confluence State are of the opinion that since the some cross section of Igala extractions had moved to SDP to reclaim seat of power, they described the Western senatorial as beautiful bride that will determine where the pendulum swings.

Yes, the electorate in Kogi West came out to give APC candidate, Ododo Ahmed Usman maximum support to deliver him against the backdrop of the three candidates coming from the zone namely the PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye , ADC candidate, Leke Abejide and that of  Action Alliance, Olayinka Braimoh.

But November 11, 2023, was the most significant day because many observers regarded the gubernatorial poll as the most keenly contested election by the ethnic nationalities in the State and most peaceful when compared with the previous elections in the State. Thanks to the security operatives who ensured security of lives and property.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Monday declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ahmed Ododo, as winner of the last Saturday’s governorship election, held in Kogi state.

According to the INEC’s returning officer, Prof. Johnson Urame, said the candidate of the APC got a total of 446,237 votes.

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, who came second in the exercise, polled a total votes of SDP 259, 052 while the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, came third with the total number of 46, 362 votes.

 According to Johnson:  “Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress having satisfied the mandate of the law is declared the winner of Kogi state governorship election and returned elected”.

 It was jubilation galore for the supporters of the All Progressive Congress across the state. The State governor, Yahaya Bello, assured the people of the State that the governor -elect Ododo Ahmed Usman, will not disappoint them, stressing that he will continue from where his administration stops.

With the conclusion of the governorship election in Kogi State, expectations are high and there are enormous tasks ahead of the in coming governor, Ododo.

The 2023 governorship election has come and gone. The winner has emerged  while the loser is groaning in pain as a result of scars which may take a long time to heal.

But the events and attendant consequences on the Individual contestants and

 Kogi State body politics would remain fresh in the memory of the people of the State.

The outcome of the governorship election and voting pattern has pointed to the fact that there is an urgent need for political gladiators across the three senatorial districts to build bridges to move the State to the next pedestal where ethnicity which hitherto has been the bane of development would become a thing of the past.

Although the historical background of the people of the God endowed mineral resources state is very paramount, but building of strong synergy by the emerging generations would be a great thing to happen and harness the potentialities of the State.

Before last Saturday’s governorship election in the State, the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had supervised political parties’ primaries, published the names of the candidates and their running mates, set out rules for the electioneering campaigns which ended on 8th of November,  fixed date for the real election and trained both staff and ad-hoc staff.

Barely a week to the election, the electoral umpire had distributed non-sensitive materials across the 21 local government areas in preparation for the election, organised meetings with the critical stakeholders and assured them of a level playing ground and its commitment to conduct the most free,fair and credible election.

The National Chairman of  INEC, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, who was represented by the National Commmissioner in charge of Kogi, Kwara and Niger States, Sanni Muhammed Adam, explained that INEC can not do it alone without  the support of the  stakeholders. He noted that for free, fair and credible governorship election in the State everybody must play by the rule, stressing that if this is done by all, there is no need for violence and crises.

As part of efforts to ensure that Kogi State 2023 Governorship election is violence free election, the National Peace Committee (NPC) in partnership with Father Matthew Kukah, European Union and Federal Department of Foreign Affairs ensured the signing of Kogi State Peace Accord by political parties and the Governorship candidates ahead of 2023 off cycle election.  Cardinal John Oniaiyekan who represented the Chairman of NPC, General Abubakar Abdulsalam (rtd) lamented the the awkward attitude of the the politicians despite signing of the Peace Accord in Nigeria.

In the area of security,  a total of over 40,000 security personnel were deployed to Kogi State, with the determination to secure lives and property before during and after the governorship election in the Confluence State. This step also underscored the high level security as the state was relatively peaceful unlike what it used to be in the past.

Governor Bello had assured the people of the State that there will be no violence during the  governorship election in the State, stressing that those talking about violence in the state are not living in Kogi State.

He also lauded the security agencies for making the election peaceful, stressing that there was no political violence in Kogi State.

Meanwhile, political analysts have appealed to all stakeholders in the State to as a matter of urgency convoke political summit where issues of marginalisation, mistrust, distrust and power rotation ciuld be discussed as means of dousing political tension that has always characterised the political process in the state.

They also urged the governor-elect, Ododo Usman, to rise to the occasion to find lasting solutions to all the political intrigues that seemingly tore the state apart during electoral processes. This step, the political analysts believe, will promote peace and overall development in the State.

Be that as it may, a peaceful united Kogi State would harness the potentialities that abound in the State.