Former Kogi State Deputy Governor Edward Onoja has revealed that ex-Governor Yahaya Bello assured him for four years that he would be his preferred successor, only to withdraw support on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries.
Onoja, now a board member of the South-East Development Commission, made the disclosure during an interview on the MIC ON Podcast released on Saturday.
Recalling his years of service as Bello’s Chief of Staff before becoming deputy governor, Onoja said his former principal consistently encouraged him to prepare for succession.
“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, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity to contest,” Onoja said.
He noted that Bello directed about seven cabinet members, including himself, to obtain APC nomination forms. However, Bello eventually threw his weight behind the current 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 stated.
Onoja added that he was only informed of the shift in Bello’s support a day before the primary election.
“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, so let’s go get the job done, but I hope you are not making a mistake.’ There were no issues, and then we went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” Onoja added.
Despite his disappointment, the former deputy governor emphasised that he remained committed to the APC and played his part in ensuring Ododo’s victory in the November 2023 governorship election.
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