The former Auditor General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state.
KanyiDaily recalls that Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello endorsed Ahmed Ododo as his preferred governorship candidate, ahead of his deputy, Edward Onoja who recently withdrew from the primary.
Onoja, whom many people thought would be endorsed and succeed Bello, stepped down from the gubernatorial race on Thursday night along with six other aspirants including the governor’s Chief of Staff, Mohammed Asuku.
On Friday, Ododo pulled a total of 78,704 votes to win the direct primary election with a wide margin after defeating six other contestants in the governorship race.
Ahmed Ododo defeated a fellow Egbira man the Barr. Mohammed Ozigi Salami, who scored 1,506 votes while the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, scored the least number of votes – 311.
The secretary of the Kogi State APC Primary Election Committee, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, on behalf of the chairman of the panel, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, announced the results and declared Mr. Ahmed Usman Ododo as the winner of the gubernatorial primary election.
The 2023 Kogi State governorship election will take place on November 11 2023 as earlier announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).