CODIFIER

The Forum of Former Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly has unanimously declared its support for the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Usman Ododo, ahead of the November 11 election in the state.  The Forum, which comprises the entire past lawmakers in the state from 1999, across political parties, also resolved to go back to their different communities to ensure resounding victory for the APC candidate.  The lawmakers, who said their decision to support Ododo followed a painstaking assessment of all the candidates on the field and the need to save the state from being dragged back to the old days of ethnocentric politics and violence, spoke at a press conference in Lokoja on Thursday.  The Chairman, Forum of Former Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Alhassan Salisu Adakeke, who addressed the press, with other members in attendance, pointed out that Kogi was too central to Nigeria to be left in the hands of candidates "who a...

Following the verdict of the Supreme Court on Thursday, affirming the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, have been urged not to run away but join hands with the president to move the country forward. The group on the platform of Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiatives (CGGCI) at a unity rally to celebrate the President's victory at the Supreme Court, called on all Nigerians to join them in the Renewed Hope Agenda and trust the government to lead Nigeria into a promised land. The group in company of thousands of supporters of the ruling APC, matched in celebration around the Eagle Square to the Supreme Court, armed with various banners and placards thanking the judiciary for the verdict. Speaking with newsmen during the rally, National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, said, "the judiciary has done an exceptional job by deli...

. Describes issues raised in Adeyemi's brief as unreasonable, vexatious, not triable  . Condemns TV utterances while case was in court The Supreme Court, on Monday, finally dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Smart Adeyemi against the judgements of the two lower courts on the All Progressives Congress' primary election, which held in Kogi State on April 15, 2023.  The Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgement, held that the appeal lacked merit, having failed to challenge the concurrent findings of both the High and Appeal Courts, or demonstrate that same were perverse.  The Apex Court also held that the two issues raised in the Appellant's brief were unreasonable, vexatious, not triable and against the provisions of Section 132 and 133(1) of the Evidence Act 2011.  Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the primary election of the APC, which produced Usman Ododo as the p...

. Describes issues raised in Adeyemi's brief as unreasonable, vexatious, not triable  . Condemns TV utterances while case was in court The Supreme Court, on Monday, finally dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Smart Adeyemi against the judgements of the two lower courts on the All Progressives Congress' primary election, which held in Kogi State on April 15, 2023.  The Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgement, held that the appeal lacked merit, having failed to challenge the concurrent findings of both the High and Appeal Courts, or demonstrate that same were perverse.  The Apex Court also held that the two issues raised in the Appellant's brief were unreasonable, vexatious, not triable and against the provisions of Section 132 and 133(1) of the Evidence Act 2011.  Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the primary election of the APC, which produced Usman Ododo as the p...

Three weeks to the conduct of the governorship election in Kogi State, an eligibility crisis has erupted in the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Murtala Yakubu (Ajaka) and Abenemi Sam Ranti are the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party for the November 11 election.  But, it is no longer at ease with the duo and their supporters as allegations of Perjury, False Declaration, Use of False Document and Possession of Forged Record are not only drizzling literally on their ambition, they are pouring seriously and obliterating any moral compass they have to stand for election and canvass for votes.  The latest scandal is now at the centre of every discussion among voters in the Confluence State. With official confirmation by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to the Department of State Services (DSS) that the running mate allegedly forged the 1979 GCE secondary school certificate he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the d...

Stakeholders in Kogi State, especially those from Kogi East, have condemned the alleged instigation of violence in the senatorial district by the Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Muritala Yakubu, saying it is capable of disenfranchising voters in the zone and working against serious contenders from Kogi East.  The stakeholders who spoke on behalf of thousands of responsible Igala sons and daughters across the zone, and Kogites, generally, who are members of the Kogi East Patriotic Association, accused Ajaka of needless and reckless propaganda, being stage-managed at the expense of security in the area.  They spoke at an emergency press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, in reaction to what they termed the latest spurious allegation of attempted assassination by the SDP candidate and the involvement of a Police officer who was allegedly severely injured by Yakubu's thugs.  The stakeholders, who said they were not campaigning for any candidate in the ...

. Say 'he's trying to save battered image, but committing political suicide'  . Ask him to go home and show Nigerians his supporters  The people of Kogi West have called on well meaning sons and daughters of the senatorial district to take a second look at the recent activities of Senator Smart Adeyemi, and realise that he desperately needs their help to overcome the fear of the unknown, which they said had allegedly made him to start exhibiting what they described as "severe signs of depression".  The Kogi West leaders, in a statement in reaction to Adeyemi's Channels TV interview on Wednesday, said his utterances were totally devoid of logic, especially as regards a state "where he has absolutely no followership."  The statement, signed on behalf of over 4,000 Okun indigenes, across all wards, by the Coordinator, Kogi Collective Interest Group, Abdul-Ganiyu Yusuf, challenged Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly...

. We'll expose unfounded propaganda by confused politicians with massive votes for Ododo - Okun indigenes Thousands of supporters trooped out, on Saturday, for a massive All Progressives Congress rally, held in Kabba, Kogi West Senatorial District, in support of the APC Governorship candidate, Usman Ododo.  Critical stakeholders, at the highly successful rally, which further underscored the massive support for the APC candidate in Okunland, specifically declared that there was no vacuum for opposition political parties in the area in the forthcoming governorship election.  The APC members said they were waiting anxiously for November 11 to expose what they termed "unfounded propaganda by confused politicians who had no base in Okunland" and to deliver massively for Ododo and his running mate, Joel Oyibo.  The various speakers and key leaders, drawn from all parts of Kogi West, said they could not afford to be in the minority and described the APC as a party that had offer...

Ahead of the gubernatorial election in Kogi State, the state Chairman of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Kingsley Oga, and other members of the party across the three senatorial districts have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).  The ADC chieftains and members, on Friday, collapsed their entire structure into the APC and endorsed the party's candidate, Usman Ododo, for the November 11 governorship election.  The only ADC State Assembly member, Hon. Idowu Ibikunle, representing Yagba West State Constituency at the Kogi State House of Assembly, also declared his support for the APC candidate, saying her would campaign widely for him despite being an ADC House of Assembly member.  Addressing party members during the defection on Friday, Oga affirmed his position as the state chairman of the ADC but noted that the ADC members in the state had decided to abandon the ADC candidate and work for Ododo.  According to him, among all the governorship candidates...

Over 70 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)  that have been in the struggle for credible elections in Nigeria for over 20 years have called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to urgently ensure that politicians stoking violence in the state with inciting statements and political brigandage that have led to loss of lives and property are made to face the law.  The CSOs specifically called on the IGP to declare the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP),  Muritala Ajaka, wanted, if he continues to ignore Police invitations for investigations  into acts of political violence in the state, moves about with "suspected thugs armed to the teeth" and undermines security efforts of the Police and other agencies as stated in a recent statement by the Kogi State Police Command.  The Coalition for Credible Elections in Nigeria (CCE), Kogi State Young Professionals, and concerned civic...

A former House of Representatives member who represented Idah Federal Constituency in Kogi State, Hon. Ismail Inah Hussein, popularly known as Soul Lover, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, along with hundreds of supporters.  Soul Lover was on Friday dressed and decorated with APC’s robes by the Kogi State Party Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, in Ajaka, Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area, as a sign that he had fully pitched his tent with the ruling party.  Inah,  a dedicated member of  PDP in Kogi State, attributed his decision to join the APC to his desire to contribute to the development of Kogi State and the country as a whole.  He said the APC government, under Governor Yahaya Bello, had instituted unity, security and overall development of the state, hence, his decision to support the APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, for consolidation.  Speaking during his admission into the party,  ...

. Says he's not in the race, only inciting violence with armed thugs  . Calls on security, other relevant agencies to ensure justice for slain APC supporter The Kogi State All Progressives Congress Governorship Campaign Council has called on security agencies to fish out those responsible for the unfortunate killing of a harmless female supporter of the party in Kotonkarfe Local Government Area of Kogi State and bring them to book to serve as deterrent to other criminals.  While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the people of Kotonkarfe and Kogites in general, the Campaign Council said the Social Democratic Party rally, in which the woman was allegedly murdered by thugs loyal to the Governorship Candidate, was a satanic ambush on the peace-loving people of Kotonkarfe.  The Director, Media and Publicity/Spokesman of the Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, who spoke at the inaugural press briefing of the Council on Monday, noted that those "who threatened to kill...

. Direct DCP, CID, SCID to investigate parties' accusations and counter-accusations The Kogi State Police Command says it has begun investigations into the circumstances that led to the killing of a supporter of the All Progressives Congress in Kotonkarfe, Kogi LGA of Kogi State on Saturday.  The Police, in a statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer in Kogi State, SP William Ovye Aya, for the Commissioner of Police, said the Command  received a report where some persons were said to have been killed and injured in the process through political violence.  While assuring the people of the state that no stone would be left unturned to secure lives and property, the CP condemned, in strong terms, acts by some politicians whose stock-in-trade was violence and who had taken it upon themselves to cause mayhem and heat up the state through "their unguarded utterances and unregulated activities".  He specifically accused the governorship candidate of th...