A former Commissioner for Information and a chieftain APC in Kogi Dr Tom Ohikere, has pledged to ensure the victory of the party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo in the state’s Nov. 11 governorship election.
Ohikere, a close ally of Sen. Smart Adeyemi, one of the governorship aspirants in the last APC Kogi governorship primaries, made the declaration while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
He spoke after meeting with a delegation led by Ododo, the State’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Momodu Salami, Ozigi Deedat and its Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Bashir Gegu.
He promised to ensure that Adeyemi joined Ododo’s camp, saying the APC could not afford to lose Kogi in the forthcoming governorship election.
He noted that Kogi for the first time, witnessed tangible and rapid multi-sectoral development, especially with the establishment of two Universities and several model schools by the administration of Gov. Yahaya Bello.
Ohikere said the feat which was achieved within seven years of the administration, had made the state a fountain of knowledge.
Citing other developmental milestones of Bello’s administration, Ohikere said Ododo, as auditor-general for local governments, areas, was one of the brains behind the evolution of a 32 year development plan for Kpgi.
He expressed optimism that the state had the prospect of a greater and even development by an Ododo-led administration if he was elected as Kogi next governor.
“In every political development across the globe, politicians come together with varied interests and in the scramble, you expect crisis of interests.
“And in Kogi we have had politicians come into the APC with varied interests or tendencies.
“For example, in the last APC governorship primary election in Kogi, I believed that the ticket should go to Kogi West, especially to Sen. Smart Adeyemi.
“But leadership is an act of God, and He gave it to Kogi Central, who am to fight the cause of God.
“Ododo who got the party’s ticket is my own younger brother. So, I have decided to play by the will of God,” he said.
He added that as one of the five key persons that formed the APC in Kogi, he could not afford to play anti-party or work against Ododo, the party’s candidate who was related to him.
The APC chieftain assured that with other stakeholders of the party in the state, he would work to ensure that Ododo emerged as its next governor.
“I have keenly followed political developments in the state, and Ododo has been talking about real issues rather than sentiments.
“This is one of the reasons why I have come on board to set agenda because we shall be discussing developmental issues,” he said.
Asked if Adeyemi was on the same page with him, Ohikere said the party at all levels had been going through a process of reconciliation and realignments after the general elections.
He added that Adeyemi as a party man, would definitely not work against his own party, the APC.
“We are going through reconciliations and realignments. I am very sure that, because I am here, and Adeyemi believes in me, I am going to speak with him,” he said.
Ododo in his remark, sued for peace among the various contestants and their followers, saying Kogi was best known as the “confluence of peace”.
He expressed commitment to the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu and promised to ensure equity in the distribution of the state’s resources in the interest of all, if elected as its next governor.(NAN)
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