19th November, 2023
By Taiwo Okanlawon
The Kogi State Governor-elect, Usman Ododo, has appreciated the support he received from the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello in the last Saturday election and promised to foster unity among Kogi citizens.
The governor-elect and his deputy-in-waiting, Comr. Joel Oyibo Salifu, on Friday, received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a brief ceremony in Lokoja, the state capital.
Shortly after, Ododo approached Governor Bello, seated in the front row of the hall, and went on his knees while presenting his certificate of return to him.
The act drew reactions from the crowd, consisting of supporters, family members, and well-wishers, who later burst into singing to hail the governor-elect.
Expressing profound gratitude for the support, Alhaji Ododo pledged to lead Kogi State towards justice, unity, and progress.
“My administration would be committed to sustaining the youth and women’s empowerment programs of the present administration,” he said.
Governor Bello anointed Ododo as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate in the just-concluded Kogi State gubernatorial poll. The former had worked in the latter’s administration as the Auditor-General of Local Government in the North-Central state.
The APC candidate emerged winner of the November 11 governorship election, defeating his closest challenger, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Ododo polled 446,237 votes, while Ajaka finished a distant second with 259,052 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dino Melaye, ended in third place with 46,362 votes.