Tension as Reports Clash Over Alleged Senate Rejection of Kogi Governor Ododo During Service Chiefs’ Confirmation
Story: WRITTEN BY JOSEPH OCTOBER 30,2025
Confusion has trailed reports claiming that Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, was denied access to the Senate chamber during the confirmation of the new Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu, at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Governor Ododo reportedly attended the session to show solidarity with Shaibu, who hails from Kogi State. However, unconfirmed accounts alleged that security officials barred him from entering the Senate gallery, marking the second time he had faced such treatment.
According to sources, National Assembly officials insisted that no other state governor had appeared for similar confirmation sessions, and therefore, Ododo’s presence was deemed unnecessary.
It was also alleged that the governor had earlier been refused entry during the Senate’s confirmation of Prof. Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who also hails from Kogi.
A source who spoke to DAILY POST said, “Governor Ododo was once again turned back at the Senate. He often attends these hearings to show support, but the Senate insists such events are not political. This is becoming embarrassing for him.”
The source further noted that Ododo had not received any official invitation to attend the session.
Kogi Government Denies Allegations
Reacting swiftly, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, dismissed the reports as “baseless and politically motivated.”
He argued that the governor was never “bounced” from the National Assembly, insisting that Ododo freely attended the screening to support both the INEC Chairman and the new Chief of Army Staff, who are indigenes of Kogi.
“I was with the governor throughout,” Fanwo told DAILY POST. “He met with senators and stakeholders before leaving for another official duty — to submit the report of the Ekiti APC governorship primary, which he chaired. No one walked him out.”
Fanwo described the reports as the handiwork of “disgruntled politicians” bent on tarnishing the governor’s image.
“The National Assembly is a respected institution. No such incident occurred,” he added.
