As the tenure of Alhaji Yahaya Bello comes to an end today as the governor of Kogi State and Usman Ahmed Ododo is sworn-in as the democratically elected governor of the confluence state, residents, citizens and political leaders have expressed their views about the transition of power to the next governor, who like Bello comes from a minority group in the state.
Since 1999, all elected governors, including Abubakar Audu, Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada, have come from the Igala ethnic group, who are in the majority in Kogi.
That was until the accidental emergence of Yahaya Bello who was given the APC governorship ticket back in 2015 following the death of Abubakar Audu who was coasting to victory in a just concluded election but was yet to be declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Rather than declare James Faleke, Audu’s running mate governor-elect, INEC chose to declare the election as inconclusive while APC gave the party ticket to Bello to inherit. Bello came second in the governorship primaries that Audu had won.
The mood on the street, the general calculus by political pundits and party leaders was that power would return to the Igalas after Yahaya Bello’s eight years.
Stakeholders who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend explained why that did not happen and how Bello was able to sell Ododo, a fellow Ebira to the people of Kogi in a state where zoning or the idea of power-shift is not even up for discussion.
For that reason, the emergence of Usman Ododo as the winner of the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election raised some dust.
LEADERSHIP Weekend recalls that the late Prince Abubakar Audu, an Igala man, became the governor of Kogi State on May 29, 1999 and handed over to another Igala man, Alh Ibrahim Idris on May 29, 2003.
After two successful tenures, Ibrahim Idris handed over to Captain Idris Wada who is also from the Igala extraction.
Power-shift to Kogi Central was due to the death of Prince Audu who would have again been declared the winner of the November 2015 gubernatorial election but death cut it short thereby causing the declaration of the election as inconclusive.
To some, the administration of Ododo will be a replica of Yahaya Bello’s administration but others are of the opinion that there will be a change.
Sentiments from the eastern flank of the state indicate that most people from that area are not satisfied with having another Ebira man to succeed Yahaya Bello.
A leader of the APC and the zonal youth leader of Kogi West senatorial district, Hon Durotifa Olusegun explained that it is not a new thing or a big deal to have two successive governors from the same zone.
“It is not in the constitution that a particular senatorial district should not produce two governors successively and we have seen a situation where they produced three. I’m only hoping that Ododo’s administration will correct the wrongs by balancing the governing system and giving Kogi West the opportunity of producing the governor after him,” he said.
On the contrary, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is viewing the development from a different perspective.
The SDP opined that the law court will declare their candidate, Alh Muritala Yakubu Ajaka as winner of the election. A stakeholder of the party in Lokoja, Alh Nasiru Atajachi said that they have a high level of hope in the judicial system that once they follow the due process, the tribunal judgement will be in their favour.
“We cannot afford to have another Yahaya Bello in Kogi State. The state belongs to us and not to Ebiras alone. We must arise and take back our state,” he said.
Feelers from political parties in the state indicate that the election that produced Usman Ododo was a planned process and it went beyond sentimental politics.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ekundayo Akinde explained that part of what contributed to the success was the strategic system of buying people into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and promising them juicy appointments.
“We are aware of how they enticed members of the opposition parties with money and they kept promising them juicy appointments which we know that they cannot get. In some cases, they offered money to party supporters just to join them and work for them,” he said.
Akinde added that just a few weeks to the election, Gov Bello made appointments from almost all the wards in Kogi State. “We know how they gave outrageous appointments to people just when we were preparing for the election.
“Most of the people that were appointed were opposition members and they were mandated to work for their victory. We heard about how they curled the traditional rulers to support their agenda and most of the monarchs danced to their tune because they had little choice,” he stated.
A political analyst and lecturer in the Department of Political Science of the state university, Dr Edwin Ukpo explained that the success of the APC was a calculated move that paid them.
He said that the APC, unlike the other opposition parties, tried to put their house in order and made new friends even when their contenders were boasting with a leaking roof.
“We saw how they wooed many big politicians to support them. Those who we might see as irrelevant, they paid consultative visits to them and they sought advice from the elders. We couldn’t expect to have anything short of winning the election,” he stated.
Dr Ukpo however explained that despite their status as a minority group, they were able to set the record and dared the majority zone to produce an Ebira man to succeed Yahaya Bello.
“For Kogi Central, if we look at the voting strength, we can see a clear difference from what was obtainable during the 2019 election compared with the 2023 governorship election,” he said.
He pointed out that the rate at which they mobilised their people at the central and western senatorial districts for voters’ registration and PVC collection was a clear indication that they were prepared to win.
“It is not in the constitution that a particular senatorial district should not produce two governors successively especially where there was no existing zoning arrangement,” he noted.
Profile Of Ahmed Usman Ododo
The man, Usman Ododo is a destined child of providence who has witnessed the powerful hand of God upon his life since birth. He has enjoyed unlimited favours from his creator right from his tender age while growing up as properly tutored to respect elders, traditionally trained to have respect for cultural values and received Islamic orientation which gave him a very balanced life in his old age. Like every average Nigerian child, Usman Ododo had a humble beginning.
Born on February 7, in Okene, Okene local government area of Kogi State, Ododo started his education at the Local Government Primary/ Roman Catholic Mission School (LGEA/RCM) Upogoro, Okene LGA where he obtained his first school leaving certificate in 1987.
The young Ododo who was passionately determined to further his education like his other contemporaries in the village, sought and gained admission to the Local Government Secondary School in his village, Upogoro where he studied and obtained his Senior Secondary Certificate Examination result in 1993.
The boy Ahmed, as he then was popularly known in college, still burning positively and determined to be at par with his age mates, going to tertiary institution that time was the only thing people of his age could boast of then and only those with greater and visibly noticeable enthusiasm were respected by the community and contemporaries.
Alhaji Usman Ododo thereafter applied to the prestigious Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State, where he obtained a National Diploma in Accounting in 1997 followed with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting in 2001 graduating with upper credit.
To keep himself relevant with the digital age and the global market space which was already becoming gradually competitive for job seekers, Ododo enrolled for a Computer and ICT training at Unique Computer Institute, Owerri in Imo State where he received Computer Proficiency Training.
With the knowledge that the Accounting field is one of the most comparative professional disciplines in Nigeria which requires very high level of training and refresher course to keep practitioners up to date with emerging accounting standards and trends, Ododo, who was filled with very high unquenchable appetite for higher education, proceeded to the great Achievers University Owo, Ondo State and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in Accounting with special attention on FORENSICs in 2014.
In 2022, Alhaji Ododo bagged a Masters of Science Degree, MSc in Accounting from Salem University.
Professional Affiliations
With these documented academic training and qualifications, Usman Ododo was prepared for very important tasks ahead when he registered with professional bodies and associations which are relevant to his profession.
He is a/an:
- Member of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN).
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Finance and Control of Nigeria (CIFCN).
- Certified Participant of the Chartered Institute of Finance and Control of Nigeria (CIFCON).
- Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
- Chartered Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management.
- Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), among others.
Working Experience
The man, Ododo, did not just seem to be at the zenith suddenly. He started and progressed steadily through the ladder to get to the current position before contesting the governorship position of the confluence state.
From 1997 until his eventual appointment as auditor-general for Local Government in Kogi State, Alhaji Ododo worked as Kogi State Industrial Training Personnel from 1997-1998; taught at his alma mater, Local Government Secondary School, Upogoro-Okene and served at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Owerri, Imo State during his NYSC from 2002-2003.
He also had a stint at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) as its manager of Finance and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria PLC, Kontagora as assistant manager, Revenue and Power Holding Company of Nigeria PLC, Kontagora as disbursement officer from 2005-2007.
By 2016 when Yahaya Bello emerged governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ododo was appointed the state’s auditor-general for Local Governments.
