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.

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 the 5th Executive Governor of Kogi state.

The event had in attendance the Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Ododo’s predecessor, Yahaya Bello; the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje and other top members of the party.

Appreciating the presence of one of his rivals during the election, Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in his speech, Governor Ododo said that politics of bitterness is over.

He pledged that under his leadership, Kogi State will become one of the sub-national pilots for key drivers of the Federal Government programmes in food security, poverty eradication, job creation, access to capital, the inclusion of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and overall economic growth which will have a local adaptation to the realities of Kogi State.

Governor Ododo also made his first appointments during the inauguration event at the Muhammadu Buhari Mini Stadium, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The governor nominated some commissioners and other top aides. Some of those appointed served in the immediate past government of Yahaya Bello. They include Folashade Ayoade Arike, Kingsley Fanwo, and Deedat Salami Ozigi, among others.

Ododo was declared as the winner of the November 11, 2023 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 46,362 votes.

By Donatus Anichukwueze

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