Lokoja, Nigeria – Usman Ahmed Ododo was officially sworn in on Saturday as the 5th democratically elected governor of Kogi State, taking over from outgoing Governor Yahaya Bello whose maximum two terms expired at midnight.
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre in Lokoja, filled to capacity by well-wishers and All Progressives Congress (APC) faithfuls from across the state. Attendees had begun gathering as early as 7 AM to witness the historic event marking a new political era in Kogi.
Chief Judge of Kogi State Justice Josiah Majebi administered the oath of office to Governor Ododo shortly after his deputy, Joel Oyibo Salifu, was also sworn in. Bello, who first assumed the governorship on January 27, 2016 after winning election the previous November, formally handed over power to Ododo before leaving office upon the completion of his second term.
In his inaugural address, Ododo offered words of gratitude to God for enabling his election victory. He also thanked outgoing Governor Bello for tremendous support during the campaign and credited Bello’s popularity among Kogites as instrumental to the APC’s statewide success.
Reaching out to former opponents, Ododo pledged to unify Kogi across ethnic and political divides. He said the state cannot revert back to a past plagued by divisions that had severely hampered progress. The governor called for power rotation among Kogi’s diverse interests to be formally institutionalized going forward.
Ododo highlighted the federal government’s recommitment to getting the long-shuttered Ajaokuta steel mill operational again and suggested Kogi is ideally positioned geographically and resource-wise to become an industrial hub for Nigeria.
Other dignitaries in attendance included President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje. Ododo thanked APC leadership for ensuring transparent democratic processes had been followed, both in his nomination as candidate and conduct of the 2023 Kogi gubernatorial election itself.
Yahaya Bello’s eight years in office witnessed both praise and criticism. Supporters point to achievements stabilizing Kogi’s security situation and financial management. Critics argue Bello concentrated power excessively among a small circle while neglecting broad-based development.
As Nigeria’s youngest state governor when first sworn in at age 40, the youthful populist leader also garnered considerable national publicity as a potential future presidential contender within the ruling APC party.
Ododo now takes the reins in Lokoja facing high expectations from Kogites seeking accountable governance and tangible improvements in their living standards. His initial speech struck tones of unifying inclusion, rotation of access, and uplifting the state’s economic fortunes.
However, the ultimate judgment of Usman Ahmed Ododo performance will emerge over the coming years as his policy vision translates into concrete results, or fails to, for average citizens. Saturday’s colorful inauguration marks a hopeful transition infused with optimism – the work of justifying that hope starts immediately for the new governor and his incoming administration.
Source Yahaya Bello Bows Out, Usman Ododo Assumes Office as Kogi Governor published in Arise News