Confusion has trailed reports that Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, was allegedly denied entry into the Senate chamber on Wednesday during the confirmation hearing of the new Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu, at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Governor Ododo, who was said to have visited the Senate in solidarity with the newly appointed Army Chief — a fellow Kogi indigene — was reportedly stopped from accessing the chamber. Sources claimed this was the second time the governor had been turned back from the Senate in similar circumstances.
According to reports, officials at the National Assembly informed the governor’s aides that no other state governors were attending in solidarity with service chiefs from their respective states, and therefore, his presence was deemed unnecessary.
A source quoted by Daily Post said,
“Governor Ododo was again bounced from the Senate. This is the second time they are walking him out. He came to show support for the Chief of Army Staff from Kogi, but they told him it’s a military promotion, not a political event.”
The source added that the governor was not officially invited to the screening, noting that a similar situation occurred earlier when Ododo reportedly attempted to attend the confirmation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, also from Kogi State.
Kogi Govt Denies Claims, Says Reports Are “Baseless Lies”
The Kogi State Government has, however, dismissed the reports as false and mischievous.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, debunked the claims, describing them as “baseless lies spread by disgruntled politicians.”
“It is laughable that anyone would think a sitting governor was walked out of the Senate,” Fanwo said. “I was with him. He met with senators and stakeholders before leaving to submit the Ekiti APC governorship primary report, which he chaired.”
He clarified that Governor Ododo was never barred or “bounced” from the National Assembly, insisting that the governor’s visit was a gesture of solidarity and had nothing to do with politics.
“The National Assembly is a respected institution. If there was such an incident, wouldn’t they have confirmed it? Some people are simply trying to create unnecessary drama where none exists,” Fanwo added.
The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s respect for the legislature and urged the public to disregard “false narratives designed to embarrass the governor.”
