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

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.

Dino Melaye/Usman Jibrin/Muritala Ajaka/Usman Ahmed Ododo/Leke Abejide/APC/PDP/SDP/ADC/Accord Party/Kogi 2023/Yahaya Bello/Kogi State
Major governorship candidate in Kogi election Photo Credit: Dino Melaye, Usman Ododo, Murtala Ajaka
Source: Twitter

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:

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Leke Abejide

Dino Melaye/Usman Jibrin/Muritala Ajaka/Usman Ahmed Ododo/Leke Abejide/APC/PDP/SDP/ADC/Accord Party/Kogi 2023/Yahaya Bello/Kogi State
Meet ADC Governorship candidate in Kogi State Photo Credit: Elder Leke Abejide
Source: Twitter

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

Dino Melaye/Usman Jibrin/Muritala Ajaka/Usman Ahmed Ododo/Leke Abejide/APC/PDP/SDP/ADC/Accord Party/Kogi 2023/Yahaya Bello/Kogi State
Dino Melaye, major threat to Usman Ododo of APC in Kogi governorship election Photo Credit: Dino Melaye
Source: Twitter

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

Dino Melaye/Usman Jibrin/Muritala Ajaka/Usman Ahmed Ododo/Leke Abejide/APC/PDP/SDP/ADC/Accord Party/Kogi 2023/Yahaya Bello/Kogi State
Meet Usman Ododo, the APC governorship candidate in Kogi State Photo Credit: Usman Ododo
Source: Twitter

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

Authors:
Bada Yusuf avatar

Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with 7 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Google's Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop. He previously worked as an Editor with OperaNews. Legit’s Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023). Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng