The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Ododo, the candidate of the APC as the winner of the Kogi governorship election held on November 11, 2023.

Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Ajaka, who came second with 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 46,362 votes.

Ododo, a former Auditor General of Kogi State and an ally of the immediate-past governor, Yahaya Bello, was sworn in on January 27, 2024.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has addressed the possibility of a merger between the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party.

In an interview on NoireTV-GlobalBlackTV released on YouTube on Saturday, Obi also spoke on the prospect of being supported as a Southeast candidate in the 2027 presidential election by Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 flagbearer.

Responding to a question, Obi expressed gratitude for Abubakar’s statement about potentially supporting him as a result of the South-East candidate. “I commend him and I’m grateful for his statements, especially where he said he will support me if it (the presidential ticket) goes to the South East,” Obi said.

However, Obi emphasised that his primary concern is not personal ambition or political maneuvering, but rather the well-being of Nigeria and its people. “I’m not desperate to be president, I’m desperate to see Nigeria work, especially for the poor people because we have a lot of potential,” he stated.

On the subject of a potential merger between the PDP and LP, Obi expressed openness to the idea, provided that the goal is to better govern Nigeria and unlock its vast potential. “If the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly, unlock all those things that will make Nigeria a better place, I’m for it,” he said.

Obi clarified that he has no interest in mergers or alliances solely to secure power or win elections.

“If it’s just a merger for election or state capture, I’m not for it or part of it, I don’t want to be part of anything like that,” he asserted.

The former Anambra State governor stressed the importance of unity and cooperation among individuals and parties, but only if the objective is to build a better Nigeria.

He said, “It might be at the party level, it might be at the individual level, might be at any level, but we must come together to be able to build a better Nigeria.”

Iyiola Omisore, immediate-past national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he worked for President Bola Tinubu to become the party’s presidential candidate.

In the build-up to the party’s presidential primary in June 2022, Abdullahi Adamu, former APC national chairman, supported Ahmad Lawan, a former president of the senate.

However, Lawan lost out to Tinubu at the primary election.

Speaking during a programme on Channels Television, Omisore said he outsmarted all those who were trying to have a presidential candidate from their zones.

“In politics, everybody has their mindsets. We came from different (geopolitical) zones to the NWC that time, representing different interests,” Omisore said.

“I was the most senior member of the party in the south-west and my mandate was to deliver the south-west for the presidency.

“Somebody from south-south too, his own mandate was to deliver south for the presidency. I want to assume so.

“So, my own way was to get to my destination which I have gotten to today. The way and manner I did my journey is between me and God.

“I can’t castigate anybody who tried to be smart but if you want to be smart and I outsmarted you, to God be the glory. But the point is that my mission was to deliver the south-west presidency which we are today.”

Omisore said though different people in the national working committee (NWC) had candidates they wanted to become flag bearer, they were still able to present a democratic convention.

“We voted. Everybody had a choice and it was transparent,” he said.

“The moment there is a transparent primary, there won’t be noise; it is only when people feel cheated that they go to court.”