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Ododo: How Minority Triumphed Over Majority In Kogi Governorship Election
The 2023 off-cycle governorship election in Kogi State has come and gone, but one major highlight of last Saturday’s poll was the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo.
Ododo’s victory in the off-cycle election was an indication of the second minority tribe overcoming the majority in Kogi State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ododo the winner of the controversial 2023 governorship election in Kogi State.
The APC governorship candidate, according to INEC, had won the election with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052.
However, the just-concluded governorship election saw a new narrative of how the minority conquered the majority with votes from the Ebira people, which is the second-largest tribe after the Igala ethnic group.
Reports by INEC indicated that Ododo polled over 135,000 votes from Okene, which is in the Ebira area of Kogi State, unlike in Idah, the biggest local government in the state, which had less than 15,000 votes. The record showed that Ebira people decided to come out en masse and vote for their own, Ododo.
Prior to the APC primaries in the state, Ododo, who is the Auditor-General of the state, was relatively unknown and was not given any chance at winning the poll despite being the preferred candidate of the outgoing governor of the state, Yahaya Bello. Both Ododo and Bello hail from the same Kogi Central and Ebira ethnic group.
During the party’s primaries, Usman-Ododo defeated a political juggernaut like Kogi West Senator, Smart Adeyemi and the likes of Shaibu Audu, Stephen Ochen, and Sanusi Ohiare.
To ensure Ododo’s emergence during APC’s primaries, the outgoing Deputy Governor Edward Onoja, ex-Finance Commissioner David Adebanji-Jimoh, Ashiru Idris, Okala Yakubu, Abdulkareem Asuku (Chief of Staff), and Accountant-General Momoh Jibrin withdrew from the race.
From 1999 to 2015, Kogi East produced all the governors—Abubakar Audu, Idris Ibrahim, and Idris Wada, but Bello broke the progression in 2015 following the death of Audu.
Speculations had it that Bello planned to ensure that an Ebira man succeeded him so that his zone could complete 16 years of uninterrupted stay in power.
Meanwhile, Melaye failed the popularity contest during the just-concluded off-cycle governorship election in Kogi State. Prior to the election, Melaye was rated as the most popular among the governorship candidates.
Melaye was believed to have what is termed “street credibility” above Ododo and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, candidate, Murtala Ajaka. Previously, Melaye had represented Kogi West in the National Assembly as a House of Representatives member and a Senator, unlike Ododo, who was an Auditor-General of the State, and Ajaka, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Working Committee, NWC, before he defected to SDP.
Over the years, the PDP chieftain had carried out some major projects in and outside his senatorial district, like the construction of roads, building of schools, community halls, and churches, amongst others. Despite Melaye’s popularity, he came a distant third in the governorship election. In his Ijumu Local Government Area, Ododo defeated Melaye by polling a total of 10,524 votes.
Lamenting over the election’s outcome, Melaye accused INEC of allocating votes because there was no election in Kogi State.
“The issue of voting or not voting has no legal status. People win elections in prison. Legally, it has no relevance to the election. Whether I voted or not, it is immaterial.
“I don’t want to talk about it; there was no election in Kogi State on Saturday,” Melaye said.
In line with Melaye’s claim, the just-concluded governorship election in Kogi State was believed to have been marred by some electoral irregularities.
Commenting, the Action Alliance (AA) in Kogi State, Fred Ambo, rejected the outcome of the election on the basis that the poll was fraudulent, adding that it was greeted with manipulations in various polling units across the State to favor the APC.
While calling for the total cancellation of the entire exercise, Ambo said the party will be contesting the outcome of the election in a competent court of law in Nigeria.
He said: “INEC promised us a free and fair election, but what we saw was a show of shame. There was ballot box snatching, while the result had already been written before the commencement of the election to favor a particular political party. They have stolen our mandate.
“The party declared the winner by INEC if they are sincere with themselves, knew that they never won this governorship election in Kogi State. Why were they scared of our candidate, Olayinka Braimoh?”
However, INEC denied the alleged manipulation of accredited figures of voters in the Kogi governorship election results uploaded on its Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The National Commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, described such claims as false.
Haruna noted: “The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) attention has been drawn to some media reports alleging that the Commission was tampering with the accredited figures of voters in the Kogi Governorship Election results uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. However, these reports are unfounded.”
Countering INEC’s denial, the Director-General of Tinubu Renaissance Community and Sustainable Transformation, Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo, insisted that Ododo emerged as the winner of Saturday’s election because the number of votes from Kogi Central was heavily manipulated.
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Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.
He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”
“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”
Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.
News
Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency
The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.
In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote
Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.
The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.
‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.
President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded
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Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience
Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.
The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.
In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.
He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”
The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.
Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.
“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”
Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.
“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”
The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.
By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.
The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.
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