Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has appealed to voters in the state to allow Ododo Ahmed Usman, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to succeed him as the next governor of the state.
Bello made the appeal recently during a statewide broadcast to mark the 32 years of creation of the state.
He said allowing Ododo to succeed him will keep the state on the track of growth and development it charted since assuming office almost eight years ago.
Bello said his concern is not to allow the state to fall into wrong hands, expressing confidence in the ability of Ododo to continue with his administration’s legacies of good governance, accountability and transparency.
The INEC has fixed November 11, 2023 for the conduct of the governorship election in Kogi State.
“In this regard, and as I round up my time in office, I aim to ensure that Kogi State transits into the hands of a successor that is committed to continuity and consolidation of the far-reaching legacies of our administration and is able to keep providing our people with the empathetic, practical and transformational leadership that is so crucial to the next stage of our development.
” Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman is the candidate that we have selected and presented to Kogi State as the candidate for the 2023 Gubernatorial Elections and our preferred successor to the GYB years.
“He is well known for his humility and humanness, underlined by professionalism and strong leadership skills.
” I am confident in his ability to continue the upward trend in our growth graph established by our New Direction Administration and I solicit your support for him in the November 11 Kogi State Governorship Elections,” the governor said.
Bello also paid glowing tributes to the founding fathers and past governors of the state, saying that the growth and progress being witnessed was a collective effort.
“I address you today with a heart that is brimming with pride and hope as we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the creation of our beloved Kogi State.
“This historic occasion is a day of remembrance and recommitment toward progress, even as we pause again to reflect upon our journey, our achievements, and our dreams for the future.
” Kogi State emerged as an entity from parts of Benue, Niger, and Kwara States on the 27th day of August, 1991 full of the promise and possibility of a new era for our people. Since that day, we have come a long way. In the process we have overcome challenges and though our history has been chequered, we have continued to journey towards a stronger and more vibrant Kogi State.
” On this anniversary, I have decided to reference my own contributions as a leader over the 8 years of my tenure which began on 27th of January, 2016 and will round up, by the grace of God Almighty alone, on the same day next year 2024.
“As for my predecessors, it suffices to say that their times in office, including their triumphs and failures, all contribute to the land and people we have become and are becoming as we march resolutely towards the greater future that we dream of.
“I salute each and everyone of them and do thank them sincerely, on behalf of all of us, for their services – such as it may have been.
“Throughout my tenure as governor, my commitment to the ‘New Direction’ blueprint has been the major driver of our actions and decisions.
“This policy plan has served us well as our guiding light, leading us towards the accelerated and proportional development we envisaged from inception across all constituencies in our state.
” In education, health, infrastructure, youth empowerment, civil service reform, security, agriculture, and more, we have taken remarkable strides that are both visible and impactful today – even to the worst naysayer or skeptic.
” We have been able to do so much irrespective of the back to back years of financial under delivery which has characterized our tenure from start to finish.”
