Gov Bello snubs ally Onoja in Kogi governorship race

Preparations for the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Kogi state took an unexpected turn on Thursday when the deputy governor, Edward Onoja, who was a front-runner, withdrew from the race.

– Key points to note

Mr Onoja withdrew after the governor endorsed a different candidate and made it clear he would not support his bid, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. Mr Bello endorsed Ahmed Usman-Ododo, the state’s auditor-general, instead.

The state election will take place on November 11. Incumbent APC Governor Yahaya Bello is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term. The APC primary is holding today.

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Following Mr Onoja’s withdrawal, seven other aspirants, including chief of staff Abdulkareem Asuku, a former commissioner for finance, David Adebanji-Jimoh, according to NAN, also withdrew from the race after Gov. Yahaya Bello endorsed Usman-Ododo.

Others who left the race are Ashiru Idris, Okala Yakubu, and the state’s accountant-general, Mr Momoh Jibrin. The withdrawals were announced during a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja, chaired by Gov. Bello.

The chairman of the primary election committee, Gov. Mohammed Bello-Matawale of Zamfara, confirmed the withdrawals and the governor’s choice of Mr Usman-Ododo.

Mr Matawale said the remaining aspirants were free to participate in the direct primary election to be held across the state on Friday. He also revealed that Gov.

– ‘Love, patience, and perseverance’

In his statement, Mr Onoja thanked Gov. Bello and his supporters for their “love and prayers”. He urged his supporters to approach Friday’s primary election and the Nov. 11 governorship election with “love, patience, and perseverance”, NAN reported.

Mr Onoja has been a close ally of Gov. Bello and was seen as the leading candidate in the race. He was the governor’s chief of staff in his first term and later became the deputy governor in the second term.

A video that circulated online this week showed Mr Onoja extolling Mr Bello’s leadership qualities, saying he learnt a lot from him.

His fall has surprised many. The deputy governor’s name trended on Twitter Friday.

One user, Olubunmi Mayaki, wrote: “The former Deputy Governor, Chief Simeon Achuba, warned Edward Onoja about Yahaya Bello but the incumbent Deputy Governor was ambitious and could not listen to the voices of reasoning then. Now he is left to fight his political battle himself. So many intrigues are in the offing!”