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Alhaji Ahmed Ododo has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kogi.
According to Patrick Obahiaghon, Secretary of the Kogi APC Primary Election Committee, Ododo scored 78, 704 votes to beat six other contestants.
Obahiaghon who announced the result of the governorship primary on Friday in Lokoja said Salami Momodu got 1, 506 votes, Abubakar Yahaya-Ashemogu, 1, 159, and Shaaibu Abubakar-Audu, 763 votes.
He added that Stephen Ocheni garnered 552 votes, Sanusi Ohiare, 424, and Smart Adeyemi 311 votes.
Obahiaghon said that out of the 93, 729 voters, 83, 419 who were accredited, voted for candidates of their choice.
“Ododo, having scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the direct primary election conducted on April 14, 2023, in Kogi, is hereby declared the winner of the APC primary election 2023.
“Ahmed Usman-Ododo is hereby returned as the duly elected governorship candidate of APC for the November 2023 governorship election,” he said.
Obahiaghon congratulated party leaders and members for the peaceful primary election.
The committee secretary also thanked Gov. Yahaya Bello, for making the democratic process possible.
Pulse reports that Governor Bello announced on the eve of the primaries said that Ododo, the state’s Auditor-General, was his preferred choice in the race prompting seven other aspirants, including the current Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, to pull out of the contest.
Bello's position was confirmed by the Chairman of the primary election committee, Governor Mohammed Bello-Matawalle of Zamfara State on Thursday.
Matawalle said the Kogi governor met with all the APC aspirants and
Matawalle said the Kogi state governor presided over a meeting held with the APC aspirants at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja on Thursday and announced his endorsement of Ododo to them.