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Just in: Yahaya Bello Reveals Reason Why He withdraws Support For Bola Tinubu

Published

1 year ago

January 22, 2023

A report by the Nigerian Tribune indicates that Kogi state governor and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, Yahaya Bello, may have tactically withdrawn support for the party’s standard-bearer, Senator Bola Tinubu.

A source quoted in the report revealed that the Kogi governor’s new stance is informed by permutations in the north-central state ahead of the November governorship election. The source revealed that Governor Bello has developed apprehension towards a Tinubu presidency.

The governor is said to be suspicious that the lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, James Faleke, may throw his hat into the ring for the APC governorship ticket in the state.

Faleke is a confidant of Tinubu and was running mate to the APC governorship candidate in the November 2015 governorship election, Abubakar Audu, who died shortly after casting his ballot.

Governor Bello who incidentally is the national youth coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign council, is said to have been cautioned that supporting Tinubu might pave the way for a Faleke administration in the state.

The permutation of those close to Bello is that Tinubu would be holding the yam and the knife on who gets what in the party if he wins next month’s presidential race, leaving their principal in the dark.

Another chieftain of the party in the state who craved not to be named said Bello is not disposed to power shift to Kogi West where Faleke is from and has already given his word to the incumbent Accountant General in the state, Jubril Mommoh, who is from Kogi East, as his anointed choice.

He said:

“The governor wants a close confidant, who can cover his tracks as his successor. “So, he is wary of Tinubu winning the presidential election. He knows that Tinubu will look at how he emerged, with the support of northern governors for power shift and may look in the direction of Kogi West and Faleke.”

Reacting, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi state commissioner for information and communications, said the insinuation of Governor Bello’s indifference to the APC presidential candidate aspiration is false. He said: “Governor Yahaya Bello is a focused and straightforward leader who is always courageous enough to stand by his choices and conviction.”