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There is some disagreement about accusations that Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo was “bounced” from the Senate during the National Assembly’s confirmation of Major-General Waheedi Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff on Wednesday.
Governor Ododo went to the National Assembly to support Shaibu, who is from Kogi State, during the confirmation process.
It was stated that Ododo was not allowed to enter the Senate during the confirmation hearing, which is the second time this has happened to him.
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It was learnt that officials from the National Assembly indicated that no other state governor came to support the service chiefs from their states, thus Ododo won’t be let in.
XANDERTECH found out that the governor was first kept out of the Senate when Prof. Joash Amupitan, who is also from Kogi State, was confirmed as the substantive Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A source told XANDERTECH that “Governor Usman Ododo was once more kicked out of the Senate.” The governor came into the Senate in solidarity with the just appointed Chief of Army staff from Kogi State.
“This is the second time they are walking the governor out of the Senate. He always comes to most of these events that have nothing to do with politics.
“He came for the confirmation hearing of the INEC Chairman, but the Senate told him he couldn’t be there.” It’s getting humiliating, which is why they told him to leave the confirmation hearing.
“Today, you know the Chief of Army Staff came from Kogi State again. They had to tell him to go back because it was a promotion by rank and not a political appointment.
“They told him that the Chief of Defence Staff came from Ekiti, Chief of Naval Staff came from Kano and none of their governors came, only Kogi. I don’t know who is managing him.”
The insider further said that Ododo was not invited to the occasion.
Kogi Gov’t says lying without proof
But Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication Kingsley Fanwo quickly called the rumours that Ododo was “bounced” “baseless” and asked why anyone would assume or believe that a state chief executive would be walked out of the Senate.
Fanwo told GISTCON that Ododo “went to the screening of the INEC Chairman to show his support and solidarity because the INEC Chairman is from Kogi State.”
He added, “Today, I was with him as he went to also give support to the new Chief of Army Staff who was to be screened by the Senate. He met with some senators from the state and other stakeholders.”
The commissioner said the governor left the National Assembly to submit the report of the Ekiti All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Primary as the chairman of the committee that organized the primary.
“So no one walked him out of the National Assembly.
“Come to think of it, on what ground would anyone walk him out of the National Assembly? Did he violate any rule? We were there for over an hour and the new Chief of Army Staff arrived before we left.
“The National Assembly is a responsible and respected institution which has communication lines. Have you found out from them whether anything of such happened?”
He noted that “some disgruntling politicians” are trying to “spread falsehoods and baseless lies”.