Former Senator Dino Melaye has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for the Kogi State Governorship election scheduled for November 11. The PDP Primary Election Committee announced the results on Sunday in Lokoja, where Melaye polled 313 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jabiru Usman, who polled 127 votes. The former deputy governor of the state, Yomi Awoniyi, scored 77 votes, while the PDP governorship candidate in 2019, Musa Wada, finished fourth with 56 votes.
Adejo Okeme emerged as the Labour Party’s candidate for the same election. Okeme polled 127 votes to beat his closest rival, Isaac Alfa, who scored 69 votes at the indirect primary held on Saturday in Lokoja. The primary was held under the supervision of a seven-member committee, led by the LP Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi.
Allied Peoples’ Movement picked Dauda Isah as its consensus candidate for the same election. Isah scored 69 votes to emerge the flagbearer of the APM, at the primary election that held amid tight security at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja. The election was monitored by a Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Oyadeji Adebayo.
However, the African Democratic Congress produced two factional governorship candidates. The lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Leke Abejide, emerged as the ADC sole governorship candidate on Saturday, while another faction of the party picked a lawyer, Dele Williams, as the party’s flagbearer.
Abejide promised to prioritise education, workers’ welfare, security and infrastructural development if elected governor of Kogi State. On the other hand, Williams said, “I am grateful to you all for giving me the mandate to fly our party’s flag in November; I will not disappoint you; I will justify the confidence you all have in me.”
The Kogi State Governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023, is expected to be keenly contested among political parties in the state. The parties’ flagbearers have promised to deliver good governance, security, infrastructural development, and improved welfare to the people of the state. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised to conduct a free and fair election that will reflect the wishes of the electorate. Meanwhile, security agencies in the state have assured the public of their readiness to ensure a peaceful election before, during, and after the exercise.