By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Former Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi State, Usman Ododo has emerged as the winner of the just-concluded governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
The election, which was conducted via direct mode of election, took place in the 239 wards across the 21 local government areas of Kogi.
Ododo polled 78,704 votes to defeat the six other contestants. The incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello had days ago endorsed Ododo.
Announcing the outcome of the primary at the State Secretariat of the APC, the Secretary of the National APC Governorship Primary Committee, Patrick Obahiagbon announced 93,729 as total numbers of registered voters while 83,419 represented numbers of accredited voters.
He said Shaibu Audu scored 763 votes; a former Minister of State, Stephen Ochen; polled 552 votes, a former Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Sanusi Ohiare scored 424 votes while the current Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Smart Adeyemi scored 311 votes.
Speaking further, Obahiagbon said Abubakar Achimugu polled 1,159 votes, Salami Ozigi got 1,506 votes while Ahmed Ododo polled the highest votes of 78,704.
Declaring the winner of the election, Obahiagbon said the election was conducted in the 21 local government areas of the state and the result have been collated peacefully from all the returning officers in charged of the election.
He said, “By the power conferred on the committee by virtue of Article 19 of the APC guidelines for the nomination of candidate for general election 2003, 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 declared that Ahmed Usman Ododo, having scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the direct primary election conducted on the 14th day of April , 2023 in Kogi State is hereby declared as winner of the APC Kogi state primary election.
“He (Ahmed Usman Ododo) hereby return as the duly elected governorship candidate of APC for the November 2023 governorship election.”
