Usman Ododo of the All Progressive Congress has been declared winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election conducted by the independent national electoral commission, INEC.

Declaring the election which was keenly contested, the returning officer of the polls, Professor, Johnson Urama said Ododo scored a total of four hundred and forty six thousand, two hundred and thirty seven votes to defeat his social democratic party counterpart, yakubu muritala ajaka who polled, a total of two hundred and fifty nine thousand and fifty two votes and the Peoples Democratic party's Dino melaye who came third with a total of forty six thousand three hundred and sixty two votes to come third in that contest.

Professor Urama told the audience who were at the collation centre that registered voters in that polls are  one million nine hundred and thirty two thousand four hundred and four while voters accredited stood ast seven hundred and ninety four thousand five hundred.

Total Valid votes was seven hundred and eighty two thousand, two hundred and eighty nine while rejected and toral votes cast stood at nine thousand six hundred and one and seven hundred and ninety one thousand eight hundred and ninety respectively

He however declared Mr. Ododo of the APC winner of the polls..

The issue of the polls cancelled in nine wards in Ogori Magongo local government was also resolved by the returning officer.

Recall that the independent electoral commission had said that the returning officer will determine if Saturday’s rescheduled election would hold if the cancelled ballot will create a wide margin of win in the polls. Prof urama said the cancelled elections were insignificant and therefore could not affect the outcome of the entire result of the election.

After the announcement APC agent congratulated his party for the well deserved victory thanking president bola ahmed tinubu for providing a level playing ground for all the contestants.

Meanwhile it was all jubilation at the Kogi state government house where supporters of the APC gathered to congratulate the governor and his successor who had already invited the opposition to join hands to move the state forward.

A visit to the government house immediately after the announcement of the result of the polls showed the supporters hailing the governor and the winner of the election, Usman Ododo, chatting solidarity songs.

The elections are gone, what remains now is the legal battle that may follow and or the expected development that the voters expect from the incoming administration. All fingers are now crossed to see what Mr. Ododo will bring to the table.