Usman Ododo has been sworn in as the governor of Kogi State after months he was elected to take over from Yahaya Bello who has completed his second term in office.
Ododo took the oath of office at around 2:24 pm at in Lokoja on Saturday.
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His inauguration came just minutes after Salifu Joel Oyibo took his oath of office as the deputy governor of Kogi State.
With his swearing-in, Ododo becomes 5th Executive Governor of Kogi state.
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The event had in attendance the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the Ododo’s predecessor, Yahaya Bello and top members of the All Progressives Congress.
Recall that Ododo, a governorship candidate of the APC and strong ally of Yahaya Bello the outgoing governor declared winner of the November 2023 governorship poll after defeating Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and other candidates of the opposition parties.
Ododo polled a total votes of 446,237 to defeat his closest challenger, Ajaka who scored 259,052 votes, with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, emerging a distant third with 46,362 votes. He was declared winner by the returning Officer, Prof. Johnson Urame, who made the formal declaration at the end of the contest.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier contemplated declaring the exercise inconclusive following electoral irregularities in some locations in the state, particularly Ogori Magongo local government area, where the exercise was suspended.
Following the suspension of the November 11 governorship election in some locations in Kogi State where result sheets were pre-recorded before the commencement of voting exercise, INEC had said that fresh elections might be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in the affected Polling Units of nine wards in Ogori Magongo LGA of the State.