Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Usmam Ododo, on Sunday, unveiled a Primary School Teacher, Salifu Joel, as his running mate for the November 11 governorship election.
The running mate is the current Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Treasurer of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State.
Governor Yahaya Bello, who spoke at the event at the Government House, Lokoja, said that the choice of Joel, a class teacher and unionist as the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, was borne out of the party’s desire to carry everybody along in its quest for the development of the state.
Bello assured that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the APC won the governorship election in the state.
“APC will follow and abide by all the existing electoral laws to win the November 11 election, more so that my administration has performed creditably well in the areas of provision of infrastructure, quality education, healthcare delivery, among others.
“We have shown competence, dedication and commitment to Kogi people in terms of performance to also ask for their votes in the next governorship election.
“In this dispensation, we won’t tolerate any politics of bitterness nor condone any act of political violence because Kogi as a state is bigger than any personal interest.
“Politics of ethnicity, religion will never be a barrier and has no place in Kogi, therefore, you should desist from any comments that can put you in trouble tomorrow, ” he warned.
Also, the State’s APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, congratulated the party’s guber candidate and his running mate, and commended the governor for providing good leadership to the party.
He said it was apt and commendable, the choice of the running mate to Ododo, coming from a very critical section of the society as a teacher.
Joel said: “I am short of words for me as a classroom teacher to be nominated as the running mate and deputy governor to the APC guber candidate.”
“When I was first approached, from the bottom of my heart, I joyfully and heartily accepted the position, because it is divine.
“I wish to assure that I will do all I could to ensure that our party becomes victorious in the forthcoming governorship election, ” Joel assured.
In their goodwill messages, the National President of TUC, Mr Audu Anaba; Kogi NLC Chairman, Mr Gabriel Amari, and the immediate past NLC Chairman, Edoka Onu; commended the governor for choosing one among the labour unions as Ododo’s running mate.
They assured the governor of their total support to mobilise votes for Ododo/Joel ticket to ensure that they emerged the next Governor and Deputy Governor of Kogi State.
