Samuel Ode

He was also appointed the Nigerian presidential liaison to Abdoulaye Wade, the then president of Senegal during the 39th ECOWAS summit for African Heads of State and Government.

Samuel Ode (born 7 November 1968, Gboko, Benue State) is a lawyer, educator and politician who had served as the deputy governor of Benue State since 2023.

Ode is a native of Edikwu, Benue State.

Ode had his primary education at NKST Primary School, Gboko from 1974 to 1980.

He was the tenth child out of fifteen children of late Christopher Ikwue Ode of Idoma descent, a retired Nigerian soldier and colonel in 1982 and the mother, late Helen Mzamber of Tiv descent, a trained nurse.

He went to Wesley High School, Otukpo and got his General Certificate of Education in 1985.

Afterwards, he proceeded to Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo where he had his degree in law in 1987.

In 1993, he moved to Plateau State and for admitted into the University of Jos, where he got his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts.

He stated it was in opposition to the [Section 182(1)(j)] of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Titus also said that the running mate for governorship of Ode, Hyacinth Alia's name was presented less than 180 days before the election date, and that of Ode wasn't presented after the re-run of the primary election.

However, all his petitions were dismissed with the reason according to Justice Ibrahim Karaye as "pre statute-barred."

In another ruling by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, he said, "The appellant failed to prove the allegation of forgery beyond reasonable doubt."

He is also the chairman of the organising committee of Benue International Investment Summit.

He had also served as the Chairman of Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority.

Ode became a politician with his first appearance as the elected Benue state secretary of the National Democratic Party in 2002.

In 2005, Ode was appointed the Special Assistant to the Governor George Akume until he became the caretaker Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area.

He was also appointed the special adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Governor of Benue State by Gabriel Suswam.

He later became the Minister of State of Niger Delta Affairs, appointed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Subsequently, he had other degrees from the University of Abuja including; LL.B. in public and international law education in 2007, 2009, and 2015.

Others were; master's degree in public administration, media arts, and an respectively.

He was a governorship candidate for the 2015 election in the state.

In 2017, He did his yearly service at Nigerian Law School, Abuja and was called to bar in 2019.

He is currently a Ph.D. student in international law and diplomacy at the University of Johannesburg.

In 2018, Ode was selected for the deputy governorship of the running mate of the APC gubernatorial flag bearer, Barr.

Emmanuel Jime in Benue State.

In 2022, he was a candidate for governorship in the primary which he lost as the runner up to Alia.

He later was appointed the running mate of the APC candidate for governorship, Hyacinth Iormem Alia for the 2023 general election in Benue State.

Although, the Zone C APC elders of Benue South Senatorial District rejected his declaration as the governorship elect and denied the nomination by issuing a statement rejecting the reported choice of Ode as the running mate of Fr Alia.

In 2023, He was declared the deputy governor of Benue State and was sworn in in May, 2023.

Ode got married to Christie Sam-Ode (née Ada) and had eight children.

Titus Uba, an aspirant of the Governor of Benue State for People's Democratic Party in 2023 alleged that Ode presented a manipulated certificate to INEC.