The governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has praised the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding his election as the state’s legitimate governor.
This was stated in a statement made public on Saturday by Ismail lsah, the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity.
The statement said, “Governor Ododo praised the judiciary for rising to the occasion and for asserting its position as the last hope of the common man despite several threats and blackmail by those who were bent on upturning the course of justice and the will of the majority of the people of Kogi State.”
Although praising President Bola Tinubu for his support, the governor of Kogi State urged the state’s opposition party leaders to collaborate with his administration in delivering additional democratic benefits to the state’s populace.
As the party celebrates its victory in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, Ododo urged his followers and fellow All Progressives Congress members in the state to continue being generous.
The governor, who referred to his victory as an act of God, pointed out that candidates running for governor on November 11 were members of the same family seeking to govern the state on behalf of its citizens.
He said, “I feel elated about our victory and how the judiciary held on to the point of law and stayed away from emotional blackmail and threats to ensure justice is served.
“The judiciary was threatened and blackmailed but they remained resolute and ignored emotions.
“The victory is not all about me. It is about the people who trouped out on November 11, 2023, to vote for us and we won the election resoundingly. The election was very transparent, fair, credible and it was the most peaceful election in the history of our state.
“I call on our brothers in the opposition parties to come and join me to move Kogi State forward.
“It is now time for all of us to come together and discuss the affairs of our state towards achieving the greatness that we all wish for Kogi State.”
He promised to continue to serve the people with dedication and the fear of God, assuring that members of his team will redouble efforts to bring forth creativity in delivering dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld Ododo of the All Progressives Congress’ victory in the Kogi State governorship election that was held on November 11, 2023.
In a historic ruling, a five-member panel of the supreme court determined that the Social Democratic Party’s appeal and that of its candidate, Muritala Ajaka, lacked merit and was thus dismissed.
