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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 11 Kogi state governorship election, Ododo Ahmed Usman, received a big boost following his recent endorsement by former Commissioner for Information and chieftain of the ruling party in the state, Dr Tom Ohikere.
Ohikere, a political ally to Senator Smart Adeyemi, a governorship aspirants in the party’s last primary in the state, also pledged to ensure the victory of the party’s standard bearer shortly after several hours meeting in Abuja.
Ododo’s delegation comprising the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Momodu Salami Ozigi Deedat and Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Bashir Gegu among others.
Promising to bring back Senator Adeyemi into the fold, Ohikere noted that APC cannot afford to lose Kogi state to any opposition party.
Acknowledging for the first time that the state has witnessed tangible and rapid multi-sectoral development, he said the establishment of two universities and several model schools by Gov. Yahaya Bello within seven years has made the state a fountain of knowledge.
He cited other developmental milestones of Bello administration, declaring that Ododo, the Auditor General for Local Governments, was one of the brains behind the evolution of a 32-year development plan for the state. He also expressed optimism about the prospects of a greater and even development of the state by an Ododo-led administration.
“In every political development across the globe, politicians come together with varied interests and in the scramble, you expect crisis of interests and in Kogi state we have had politicians come into the APC with varied interests or tendencies.
“For example, in the last APC governorship primary election in Kogi, I believed that the ticket should go to Kogi West especially to Smart Adeyemi, but leadership is an act of God and He gave it to Kogi Central. Who am I to fight the cause of God? The person who got it is my own younger brother. Will I now fight myself? So, I have decided to play by the will of God.
“I cannot play anti-party and in realisation of the fact that I was part of the five key people who established APC in Kogi, I cannot play anti-party and my brother Ododo is the candidate of the party. I cannot work against him. So, my party must win the next election in Kogi state.
“I have keenly followed political developments in the state and Ododo has been talking about real issues, rather than sentiments. This is one of the reasons I have come on board to set agenda – because we shall be discussing developmental issues,” he said.
Asked if Adeyemi was on the same page with him, Ohikere said that since the party at all levels has been going through a process of reconciliation and realignments after the general election, Adeyemi as a party man would definitely not work against his own party.
“We are going through reconciliations and realignments. I am very sure that, because I am here, Smart Adeyemi believes in me and I am going to speak with him,” he stated.
Commenting on the development, Ododo sued for peace among various contestants and their followers, stressing that Kogi is best known as the “Confluence of peace”.
He expressed commitment to the “Renewed Hope” blueprint of President Bola Tinubu, promising to ensure equity in the distribution of state resources if elected governor.
