APC, PDP, Others: Top 5 Candidates to Watch Out for in Kogi Governorship Election

The Kogi State governorship election coming up on November 11 will be determined by several factors, including tribe and popularity.

Igala people in the Eastern senatorial district have governed the state for over 20 years and still want to have control of the state in their holds. They are the most populous tribe, with nine of the 21 local government areas in the state.

On the other hand, the Ebira still wanted to produce Governor Yahaya Bello's successor, who is from the region, Kogi Central senatorial district, to equal the years that the Igala people have spent to govern the state.

The dominant people of the Kogi West senatorial district, Okun, are the second largest group of people in the state, but they have not been privileged to produce a governor since the creation of the state.

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Below are five top candidates to watch out for in the election:

Leke Abejide

Abejide is currently a member of the House of Representative, representing the people of the Yagba Federal Constituency. He is one of the leading governorship candidate from Kogi West.

The name of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)'s candidate has become an household in the constituency because he has been paying WAEC fees for pupils in secondary schools in the constituency since he was first elected as a federal lawmaker.

Dino Melaye

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of the force to reckon with in the forthcoming election as a major opposition force in the poll.

Melaye was a former senator who represented the people of the Kogi West in the eighth national assembly. In 2019, he contested in the primary of the PDP governorship ticket but was defeated by Engr Musa Wada who later lost to Governor Yahaya Bello.

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Usman Ahmed Ododo

Ododo is the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the anointed candidate of the outgoing governor Bello. He has been actively involved in the Kogi politics since he was first appointed as the Auditor-General for Local Government in 2016

The APC flagbearer is widely accepted among the people of the Kogi Central Senatorial District and the only Ebira contesting in the November 11 election.

Speaking with Legit.ng Joseph Ejire, a political commentator, said there was nothing for Dino Melaye, the PDP candidate and main opposition in the election and tipped Ododo as possible winner of the election.

He said:

"Ododo is clear of SDM, he's going to win."

Muritala Yakubu Ajaka

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) flagbearer is a leading candidate in the governorship race from the Kogi East. His supporters cut across the 21 local governments in the state despite facing several predicaments, including alleged attacks on his campaign offices and convoys.

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Ajaka was the former deputy national publicity secretary and governorship aspirant of the APC before he was disqualified for a controversial suspension from his ward's executive.

Usman Jibrin

The Accord Party candidate is another force in the election with over 10 political parties already collapsed their structures to work with him in the poll. Just like Ajaka, he is popular among the Igala people and has denied stepping down for the SDP candidate.

Jibrin, a former Naval boss, had served as the military governor of the North Central State during the regime of General Murtala Mohammed between July 1975 to 1977.

Kogi poll: Ex-lawmaker, women leaders dump Dino Melaye, PDP for APC

Legit.ng earlier reported that Dino Melaye, the PDP candidate in the upcoming governorship election in Kogi State, has suffered the defection of major stakeholders from the party.

Ismail Inah, a former lawmaker who had represented the Idah Federal Constituency in Kogi State, left the PDP and joined the APC one month before the election.

The PDP women leader in the Igalamela-Odolu LGA and the women leaders in the wards of the council areas also dumped the opposition for the ruling party.

Source: Legit.ng