Independent Observer group commends Kogi APC Primaries, validates Usman Ododo’s emergence »

…urge politicians to desist from stamping truth on its head

A Non-governmental Organisation, the National Independent Democratic Observers (NIDO) has validated the emergence of Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman as the winner of the All Progressives Congress primaries held in April.

The group similarly commended the All Progressives Congress over the conduct of the primaries that produced the party’s flag bearer attesting that the primary election was free, fair and credible.

This was disclosed through a preliminary report released to the press by its National Coordinator Comr. Habbey Oladejo where it was noted that from the field reports of its observer team, Alh. Usman Ododo was clearly the most accepted by the majority of the party members.

The release reads “NIDO as a non-profit, non-governmental and non-affiliated Organization that has been part election monitoring across the Country, including monitoring party candidate selection process, with the aim of ensuring Democratic tenets permeates the books and crannies of the Society.

“We in conjunction with other like minds organisations carried out comprehensive, independent observation and monitoring of the primary election in each of the twenty one local government area of Kogi State without meeting with any of the 18 aspirants jostling to govern the state or their agents throughout.

“While the comprehensive report of our observations from the Kogi APC Gubernatorial primaries is almost 90 percent ready and due for public presentation, this preliminary release suffices to set the record straight, owing to numerous reports flying across the media space on the primaries.

He added that the Kogi APC Primaries which produced Alh. Usman Ododo as the party’s gubernatorial flag-bearer of the party was credible, transparent and largely a true reflection of the party member’s wishes across the 21 local government area of the state.

The coordinator however pointed out that the event was without lapses which are mainly logistical shortcomings on the part of the party and inadequate information dissemination among others.

He said that while protest and seeking redress is a constitutional guaranteed right of all aggrieved parties, he enjoined politicians and their agents to stop stamping truth on its head, when events fail to go their way.

“Truth and fact must never be sacrificed on the altar of group, sectional or parochial interest. Truth is colourless and it needs no witness to validate it.

“Our organisation has no interest whatsoever in all the 18 aspirants, our sole interest is nothing but deepening democratic tenets, sustain observed laudable exercises and knock as might be appropriate any anti-democratic leanings” he added

According to him, “ His victory was well deserved, and the results of the poll truely reflected the will of the people” .

Leadership is all about commitment and competency. That’s why we are advising the co-aspirants to shield their swords, they have no other option but to support and defend Ododo’s mandate in the intetest of the party,and moving kogi forward.”