The Lokoja Metropolis went agog on Saturday as Usman Ododo took over the mantle of leadership from Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi State.
Mr Ododo and Joel Salifu were sworn in as governor and deputy governor by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Majebi.
The Muhammadu Buhari Square Lokoja, was full to capacity as early as 8 a.m. as thousands of party supporters, families, friends, and well-wishers who were mobilised from the 21 LGAs of the state thronged the square to witness the inauguration of Mr Ododo of the All Progressive Congress (APC)
Messrs Ododo and Salifu were elected on the platform of APC on November 11, 2023, during the off-cycle governorship election.
Mr Ododo was declared winner after scoring 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 259,052 votes.
Mr Ododo succeeded Mr Bello who served two terms from January 27, 2016 to January 27, 2024.
Present at the ceremony were the Vice President, Kashim Shettima; the Kwara State governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governor’s Forum, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman and the deputy governor of Benue State.
Government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and some federal and state lawmakers led by the Speaker of the state assembly, Umar Yusuf, also witnessed the event.
But the SDP candidate, Mr Ajaka, who is challenging the election, urged the people of Kogi not to be disillusioned by the swearing-in of Mr Ododo as governor.
Mr Ajaka, in a statement by the party’s Campaign Director of Communications, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, said the enthronement of Mr Ododo was just a temporary distraction as the case challenging his victory was before the Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.
(NAN)
