By Thompson Yamput
The Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Umar Yusuf, on Tuesday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has no any serious contender in the upcoming governorship election in the state.
The speaker made the declaration in an interview with assembly reporters in Lokoja, shortly after the House adjourned to Nov. 21 in order to prosecute the Nov. 11 governorship poll.
Yusuf said: “In Kogi, there’s no other party as we made a statement loud and clear during our Sunday’s APC official flag-off campaign in Lokoja.
“Let me even tell you, there is no other party contesting the governorship seat with us as long as this election is concerned.
“The public need to know that the candidates of other parties are not serious; one of them is contesting so that he will be able to get money from friends and other people to maintain his lifestyle.
“While the other one is using the party he belongs to whip sentiments for him to get appointment in our government. That is all.
“I can tell you that they are not contesting. And there is no contest as far as this governorship election is concerned. We are going to win. We have won from the support we have right now in the state.
“We have 22 APC members in the Assembly. We have everything for our people to believe in us. So we are good to go campaigning for Ododo with no panic, no stress at all.”
Yusuf explained that the House adjourned to Nov. 21 to give members the leverage to stay with their parties and campaign for their parties as they participate fully in their activities.
According to him, “it is the party that sponsored us to this place, so owe it a duty to go and support the party and usher in the new government”.
He said they had people that God used to deliver them during their election on March 18 and that the same structure would be used to deliver Ododo 100 per cent on Nov. 11, by the special grace of God.
On the the burnt assembly complex, the speaker expressed hope that the contractor handling its reconstruction would finish the project before their return on Nov. 21.
He said: “We are of the belief that we shall resume plenary in the assembly complex when we return after the recession on Nov. 21.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the plenary, the lawmakers screened a commissioner nominee, Alhaji Suleiman Bashir.
The assembly also had first and second readings of seven Bills, including that of establishing Kogi Oil Producing Area Development Commission, and other matters. NAN
