*It is fake news – State Govt
The Peoples Democratic Party House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa Fender Constituency in the 2023 elections, Austin Okai, on Monday, alleged that the newly-inaugurated Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has approved the establishment of the “Office of Immediate-Past Governor” in the state.
Ododo was inaugurated on January 27, 2024 as the Governor of Kogi State.
The alleged approval for the establishment of the Office of Immediate-Past Governor is coming barely two days after inauguration.
Okai, who took to his X handle on Monday, to announce the approval of the governor, wrote:
“Kogi State Governor approves the establishment of the “Office of Immediate Past Governor” to be domiciled in the Government House.
“Kogi State, Congratulations,” he wrote.
The politician further claimed that the new office would be occupied by the immediate-past governor, Yahaya Bello.
Reactions have continued to trail the purported establishment of the office.
@Tunde_Adeparusi wrote: “Mr Olodo, I mean Ododo, really took the madness to the next level. What a Nigerian stooge cannot do does not exist. Lol”
@AGINAS wrote: “Ha ha ha ha, the guys wan give a permanent seat to his sponsor. Kogi people, dem wan wash una head. Sha na North, anything fit happen.”
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has debunked the report saying Governor Usman Ododo has not established any ‘Office of Immediate Past Governor” within premises of the Government House in Lokoja.
The refutal was contained in a press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nihi Oladele, copy of which was made available to the Journalists in Lokoja, on Tuesday January 30, 2024.
“Kogi State Government has been drawn to a mischievous wasreport that the Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has approved the establishment of the “Office of the Immediate Past Governor” to be domiciled in the Government House.
“The fake news should be disregarded as the handiwork of psychotic mischief makers, who have been thrown into confusion by the unprecedented achievements of our former Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, CON, and the realisation that the good people of Kogi State sincerely appreciate this.
“The laughable report was concocted to create disaffection and mislead the public but the authors failed woefully to confuse intelligent Nigerians.
“We thank the media for exercising restraint and detecting, on their own, that the report was fake.
“We, however, urge the general public to always fact-check before spreading fake news,” the CPS posited.
