Kogi State in Nigeria witnessed a major turn of events in the governorship race as two top officials withdrew from the race after Governor Yahaya Bello endorsed Ahmed Usman Ododo ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election.
Deputy Governor Edward Onoja and Chief of Staff Mohammed Abdulkareem Asuku announced their withdrawal from the race on their Facebook accounts shortly after the stakeholder meeting held at the headquarters of the APC in Lokoja, the State capital on Thursday.
The APC had scheduled its governorship primary election for Friday, April 14, 2023.
However, Governor Bello revealed his preferred candidate at the meeting, prompting the withdrawals of Onoja and Asuku from the race.
Onoja expressed his gratitude to his leader, Governor Bello, and supporters for their love and prayers.
Asuku also showed his appreciation to his benefactor and submitted himself publicly to the decision taken by the party.
In addition, other aspirants like David Adebanji Jimoh, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris, Okala Yakubu, and Momoh Jubril also withdrew from the governorship race.
The withdrawal of these aspirants has significantly reduced the number of candidates vying for the APC’s governorship ticket.
It is also expected to give a boost to Ododo’s chances of clinching the party’s ticket and ultimately becoming the governor of Kogi State.
The governorship election in Kogi State is scheduled to hold on November 11th, 2023.
It is anticipated to be a keenly contested election as various political parties will be fielding candidates to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello, whose tenure will end in January 2024.
The APC has been in power in Kogi State since 2015 when it defeated the incumbent People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor Bello was re-elected in 2019 after defeating Musa Wada of the PDP.
However, his administration has also been criticized for its handling of security challenges, particularly in the eastern part of the state.
As the governorship race in Kogi State continues to unfold, it is expected that more aspirants will drop out of the race, leading to a consolidation of support for the leading candidates.
The primary election on Friday will be crucial in determining the APC’s flagbearer and the eventual winner of the governorship election in November.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
