By THOMPSON YAMPUT

Alhaji Usman Ododo, the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has won Saturday’s off cycle Governorship Election in Kogi.

Ododo polled 446,237 votes to beat his closest rival, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052 votes in the keenly contested election.

The INEC Returning Officer Prof. Johnson Ugamadu, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who declared the result of the election at the Collation Centre, Lokoja, said that the total valid votes cast was 782,289 out of the 791,890 total votes cast during the election, which recorded 9,601 rejected votes.

“Usman Ododo of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law by scoring the majority of the votes cast in the Nov. 11 off-cycle governorship election, is hereby returned elected,” Ugamadu declared.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC candidate won in 13 LGAs, including Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Okene, Mopamuro, Kabba-Bunu, Adavi, Yagba West, Yagba East, Lokoja, Kogi/Koton-Karfe, Bassa and Ijemu.

Also Yakubu-Ajaka of the SDP on the other hand won in Dekina, Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Ankpa, Idah and Ibaji Local Government Areas.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the results were announced, the Agent of SDP, Mr Ohemoyi David, expressed disappointment in the way and manner INEC went ahead to announce the result in spite of some abnormalities witnessed during the election.

“We have written a petition to INEC on the election, yet it went ahead to announce the result even when it has pledged to conduct supplementary election in some LGAs on Nov. 18.

“We shall definitely challenge this action in Court,” David said.

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi expressed gratitude to the residents for giving Ododo the opportunity to take over from him on Jan. 27, 2024.

He also thanked INEC, security operatives, CSOs and the media for seeing that the election was a success.

He assured the public that Ododo would not fail the state in continuing with the development efforts to transform the state.

Ododo, in smile, thanked the people for counting him worthy to lead them in the next phase of leadership.

The governor-elect declared himself as “the people’s servant”, who is ready to serve them faithfully for the growth and development of Kogi. (Text, excluding headline: NAN)

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