Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State said on Friday that the upcoming governorship election on November 11, 2023, in Kogi State will be the most peaceful election ever held in the state.
Bello reiterated that he is not related by blood to the APC governorship candidate in the state, Usman Ododo.
He says this is true, even though some people are bent on spreading false information about it. He believes that Usman Ododo won the party’s primaries fairly because he worked hard for it, and it was a fair and honest competition.
The governor was speaking at the 3rd Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar in Abuja for journalists who cover politics and crime news in Nigeria.
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When it comes to allegations and claims about campaign offices being destroyed in the state, the governor mentioned that the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, is the most popular and liked candidate, so he won’t do anything to spoil the election.
“Ododo has endeared himself to the people of Kogi. How can you be the most popular candidate, positioned to win, and still instigate violence?” He asked.
“Ododo and I may come from the same place, but we do not share any blood relationship whatsoever. Do your findings. He is a very compassionate, hardworking, and competent fellow, and those qualities spoke for him at the primaries,” he added.
Bello clarified that one of the main goals of his government was to eliminate the ethnic divisions that had held the state back before he took office.
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“Ethnic sentiments set Kogi back for 19 years, and we must break away from that for competence. My administration has changed the narrative of ethnicity and has been appointing and working with competent people as against choosing people from tribes in the state.
“We raise people from different backgrounds, irrespective of their senatorial zones,” he added.
Earlier, Kogi’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, stressed that there would be no election-related violence.
He underscored the government’s unwavering dedication to prioritising security and preserving peace in the state.
