Son of late Audu, Ohiare Dump Adeyemi, Back Ododo in Kogi Gov Poll

Prince Shaibu Abubakar Audu, one of the candidates in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for governor of Kogi State on April 14, has withdrawn his complaint against the organization and the victor, Usman Ododo.

The late 2015 governorship candidate Abubakar Audu’s son, Audu, claimed that his decision to drop the case was made in the best interests of the party.

When the governorship candidate met Governor Yahaya Bello in Abuja on Tuesday, he revealed the information.

Sanusi Ohiare, a former executive director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and candidate for governor, also expressed his “unalloyed support” for Ododo at the same time.

Together with Senator Smart Adeyemi, the pair had initially denounced the results of the primaries, but now that they have thrown their full support behind the candidate, some might argue that Adeyemi is on his own.

Audu vowed to help Ododo succeed and assured him that his supporters would do the same.

Assuring Governor Bello that their combined efforts would ensure Ododo’s win, he praised the governor for his leadership and resourcefulness in energizing the party structure for unprecedented success in Kogi State.

In response, Bello praised Audu for his sportsmanship and emphasized that the APC in Kogi State has always been cohesive, which he claimed was the cause of the party’s election victory in the state.

Residents of Kogi had already come to trust his administration, he continued, so there was no need to change allegiances.

Shaibu and other past candidates were asked by the governor to work with the party’s leadership and support their nominee in order to win the upcoming elections.

Ododo, the APC governorship candidate, underlined his belief in the party’s cohesion during his brief remarks.

He commended the existing administration for its strong foundation, which he claimed was founded on interethnic and interreligious harmony, and he reassured the populace that, if he were elected, his administration would be inclusive.

Another contender for governor, Ohiare, also proclaimed his support for Ododo when the latter visited his father, Sen. Mohammed Ohiare, in Abuja on Tuesday for consultation.

“Politics is not a life-or-death endeavor for us. Since Alhaji Ododo won the primary, he has my full support. We won’t do anything to endanger the prospects of our own party, of which my father was one of the founding fathers, Ohiare remarked.

The elder Ohiare promised the candidate his support in the governorship election on November 11 and urged all party members to do the same to ensure Ododo’s victory.