All may not be well with Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi state.
An investigation by this medium revealed that the Yahaya Bello, popularly called White Lion is considered a heavy liability by the presidency and the party leadership in Abuja owing to the role the Governor has been playing ever since his assumption as a governor of Kogi state.
Yahaya Bello was substituted as APC candidate after the death of Audu, the character behind the APC victory in Kogi state, the phenomenon that Bello seems to be ignorant of it, Yahaya Bello before now have the ruling APC to himself as the former National Chairman John Odigie Oyegun is like a boy to the governor due to the crumbs that the exited National chairman enjoyed from Bello table.
The genesis of the misfortune started when governor openly worked against the choice of Adam Oshiomole, instead the young governor of Kogi state who arrogated so much power to himself assiduously worked for tenure elongation for Odigie Oyegun instead of the President favoured candidate Adams Oshiomole, a move seen as plot to stop Adams Oshiomole from emerging National Chairman and to continue his reign of impunity in Kogi state chapter of the party.
After the fall of the plot, the Bello went a step further to pressurise party leaders to resist Oshiomole from challenging Oyegun at the party’s convention that was held in June, but again the plot failed to materialise and Oshiomole emerged National Chairman. Oshiomole being who he is, a former unionist from Afemai in Edo state, who dared the iron fist administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, the two time governor of Edo state may not have anything to do with forgiveness.
Since his emergence, Yahaya Bello has been having a tough battle with the chairman and is considered a persona non grata within the party’s leadership. Not done, Bello also led a revolution against President Buhari and the NWC to stop the party from conducting Direct primary in the presidential election despite insistence of Adams Oshiomole, being an innovation by Oshiomole NWC, yet, Yahaya Bello fought against it. However, the plot failed! In fact, a member of the NWC reportedly swore not to have anything to do with Bello.
Within the presidency, our investigation showed that President Muhammadu Buhari is highly displeased with the Governor and has given instruction that he be kept at arms length.
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Our sources within the presidency, who wishes to be left anonymous, confirmed to this medium that the President personally instructed Yahaya Bello not to show up during presentation of the Presidential nomination form bought for him by NCAN, and also blocked Bello from being present at the submission of the nomination form to the party leadership.
Furthermore, there are moves by those around the presidency to block some states, including Kogi state from accessing their share of Paris Club fund refund due to the fact that the states are yet to justify receipt of previous funds, including two tranches of bailout funds.
It may be recalled that this medium has exclusively reported that the presidency has ordered Zenith Bank, that Kogi state government deals with, to submit statement of Kogi state government’s account in order to probe every financial transaction of the Governor.
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This medium can authoritatively report that Yahaya Bello has fallen out of grace even among the northern emirs which he previously enjoyed favor from. The story of Bello bad attitude towards governance is not new and bringing him closer by any of the respected emirs is been considered as a stain.
As it stands now, the Governor is like an Island, as he is considered a liability to both the party and the presidency, this prompted him being shut out of APC Governorship mega rally that was held in Osogbo, Osun state on Tuesday.
Investigation by this medium revealed that some workers in Kogi state are being owed up to 25 months salary, while others are owed between 15 and 20 months payment despite the government receiving bailout funds, double tranches of paris club refund, statutory allocations and several other payments running into hundreds of billions. The President was visibly angry upon the discovery that Bello has refused to pay salaries of civil servants contrary to what he had told the president.
Conclusively, the party hierarchy has started shopping for Bello’s replacement for 2019 Governorship election in the state that is billed to hold in the fourth quarter of 2019, the development the white lion himself is aware of, Yahaya Bello is by all round currently at disadvantage in the APC decision, apart from being excessively arrogant, Bello performance as a governor is typical a bad example of what the APC claimed to represent.
