Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Auditor-General of Kogi State has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primaries.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Ododo becomes the party’s candidate for the upcoming November 11 election.
The victory was announced in the early hours of Saturday after direct primaries were conducted by the ruling APC in all council wards of the state.
Ododo garnered a whopping 78,704 votes, defeating his distant runner-up, Barr. Mohammed Ozigi Salami, who scored 1,506 votes. The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, scored the least number of votes, 311.
The chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee in Kogi State, Governor Mohammed Bello of Zamfara State, conducted the exercise. Meanwhile, 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 Ododo as the winner of the gubernatorial primary election.
Before the official announcement, some newspapers reported that Ododo was losing the election. Sahara Reporters claimed that Muri Ajaka was winning with 14 local government areas as at late Friday. It was also alleged that the governor was fighting hard to ensure that his candidate was declared the winner.
It’s worth noting that Ododo was endorsed by Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, as his preferred successor.
Earlier, Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja and Chief of Staff to Governor, Mohammed Asuku, along with six other aspirants, withdrew from the Governorship race ahead of Friday’s APC primaries. This was announced at the stakeholders’ meeting of the party held on Thursday in Lokoja.
