In a surprising turn of events, the former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, has accused his former boss, Yahaya Bello, of reneging on a promise to support him as the next governor. According to Onoja, Bello had privately assured him for four years that he would hand him the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, only to abruptly back the current governor, Ahmed Ododo, instead.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Onoja revealed the details of the alleged betrayal. “For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared,'” Onoja recalled. He explained that he planned and worked towards this goal, and when the time came for the primaries, Bello gave all cabinet members the green light to purchase nomination forms.
However, things took an unexpected turn. Onoja said he and his colleagues soon discovered that Bello’s preferred candidate was not him, but Ahmed Ododo. “At the end of the day, his heart and his choice was with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” he stated.
Onoja said Bello broke the news to him just one day before the primaries. While the sudden change of plans was disappointing, Onoja said it didn’t lead to a rebellion. “When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss, you are over me, what you see is what I see,'” Onoja said. He added that he questioned the decision, telling Bello, “Let’s go get the job done, but I hope you are not making a mistake.”
Despite being sidelined, Onoja emphasized that he remained loyal to the party and threw his full support behind Ododo to secure a victory in the November 2023 governorship election. He said his commitment to the APC and the state remains firm, even in the face of this personal setback. For
