As the November 11 governorship election of Kogi State is fast approaching, one of the aspirants of the of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Shaibu Abubakar Audu, has withdrawn his lawsuit against the party and the winner, Usman Ododo.
Audu, who is the son of the late 2015 governorship hopeful, Abubakar Audu, said his decision to withdraw the case was in the interest of the party.
The governorship aspirant made the disclosure on Tuesday when he visited Governor Yahaya Bello in Abuja.
This comes as the immediate past Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and governorship aspirant, Sanusi Ohiare, also declared “unalloyed support” for Ododo.
The duo had initially protested the outcome of the primaries along with Senator Smart Adeyemi, but with their full support given to the candidate, some might argue Adeyemi is on his own.
Audu pledged his support for the success of Ododo, saying his supporters would also work for his victory.
He commended Governor Bello for his ingenuity and leadership in galvanising the party structure for unprecedented success in Kogi State and assured the governor that their collective efforts would guarantee Ododo’s victory.
Bello, in turn, commended Audu for his sportsmanship and emphasised that the APC in Kogi State had always been united, which he said was the reason for the party’s electoral success in the state.
He added that his administration had gained the trust of Kogi residents, adding that there would be no need to switch allegiances.
The governor urged Shaibu and other former aspirants to come together with the party’s leadership and support its candidate for a successful outcome in the next elections.
During his brief remarks, Ododo, the APC governorship candidate expressed his confidence in the party’s unity.
He acknowledged the solid foundation laid by the current administration, which he said was built on unity across ethnic and religious lines, and assured the public that his administration, if elected, would be all-inclusive.
In a related development, Ohiare, another aspirant, had declared his support for Ododo when the governorship candidate paid a consultative visit to his father, Sen. Mohammed Ohiare, in Abuja on Tuesday.
“For us, politics is not a do-or-die affair. Alhaji Ododo has won the primary and I will give him my full support. My dad was one of the founding fathers of the APC, we won’t do anything to jeopardise the chances of our own party,” Ohiare said.
