Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has said the electoral fortunes in the state since 2015 would give the All Progressives Congress victory in November Gubernatorial election.
The governor enjoined citizens of the state to shun politics of ethnicity, religious and class sentiments, urging them to embrace competence,integrity for more dividends of Democracy for the state.
The governor disclosed this at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre in Lokoja on Saturday during the ratification of the party congress and presentation of the party’s flag to Hon Ododo Ahmed Usman who emerged winner with 78,704 votes to clinch the APC November Gubernatorial poll.
Bello, while commending the peaceful conduct of the primary election across the 239 wards of the state said it was a clear indication that the state is APC.
In a statement made available to PRECISE NEWS on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, ONOGWU Muhammed affirmed the general acceptability of Hon. Ododo Usman who was overwhelmingly voted for at the primary election.
The statement reads in part, “During the contest, there were 18 eminently qualified citizens of the state but along the line only 7 of them successfully made it to the polls as some of them withdrew or stepped down before the contest for the interest, cohesion and unity of the party and worked with the party to produce Hon Ododo Usman as the flag bearer.
Governor Bello while recounting the success of the party in the just concluded 2023 general elections, said APC in Kogi State voted overwhelmingly for the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, won the three senatorial seats, six of the nine House of Representatives seats and 22 out of the 25 House of Assembly seats.
The party’s doors are open to everyone to join for the interest and progress of the state, the general elections slated for November will be a walkover for the APC”
He expressed confidence that the standard bearer for the party will not disappoint the people.
While thanking the delegates, Governor Bello tasked them to embark on civil and issue based door to door campaign for the party’s candidate.
On his part, the APC gubernatorial candidate, Hon Ododo Usman called all the stakeholders to join hands with him for collective victory in the forthcoming election.
“I call on all of you my brothers and sisters and all our teeming supporters to let us unite solidly behind the ticket and work for the victory of the Party (APC) come November 2023. We must now put behind us the brotherly exchanges before the primary election which were only a means for us to test the system which has now truly proven to be alive, well, and working in the interest of the party and indeed the good people of Kogi State
“With your support, our great party (APC) will be victorious in the next governorship election and we shall consolidate on the gains of the New Direction agenda in the state. May I at this juncture most respectfully express my profound appreciation to our leader and architect of the new Kogi State, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, AlhajiYahaya Bello for believing in me and for effectively leading us through a smooth and rancour-free process that has today culminated in this victory for all our party men and women in the state”. He said
He commended the election committee headed by Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle and the leadership of the party at both federal and state levels for the conduct of the rancour-free primary elections. Ododo lauded the National Chairman of APC and members of the National Working Committee and Excos of the Party for providing a level playing field for all the contestants.