Former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, has accused ex-Governor Yahaya Bello of dangling the governorship seat before him for four years only to pull the rug a day before the ruling party’s primaries.
Speaking on the MIC ON Podcast released Saturday, monitored by The News Chronicle, Onoja revealed that Bello repeatedly assured him he would be his successor, encouraging him to prepare throughout their administration.
“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned, I worked,” Onoja recalled.
But the promise collapsed on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, when Bello announced he would instead back his ally, now-Governor Usman Ododo.
“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice were with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” Onoja said.
The former deputy governor, who once served as Bello’s Chief of Staff, disclosed that the ex-governor broke the news just 24 hours before delegates voted.
Despite his disappointment, Onoja said he swallowed the decision and threw his weight behind Ododo.
“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss… I hope you are not making a mistake,’” Onoja said.
Now a board member of the South-East Development Commission, Onoja maintains he remains loyal to the APC and supported Ododo’s victory in the November 2023 governorship election.
