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Yahaya Bello promised to make me governor, but betrayed me for Ododo - Onoja

Edward Onoja, former deputy governor of Kogi State, has opened up about how ex-governor Yahaya Bello repeatedly assured him that he would be his successor.

Speaking on Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Onoja said Bello gave him his word for four years that he would hand over to him at the end of his tenure.

The former deputy governor recalled how Bello urged him to “get prepared” for the role, a promise that shaped his political plans.

“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 and I worked, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity to contest,” Onoja said.

ALSO READ: 2027: Yahaya Bello to run against Tinubu? Details emerge

Onoja revealed that about seven members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), himself included, purchased the party’s governorship nomination forms at Bello’s directive. But at the end of the process, Bello’s support swung decisively to Usman Ododo, who eventually emerged as the APC candidate and is now the sitting governor.

“When he broke the news to me, I told him, ‘You are the boss; you are over me; what you see is what I see. I hope you are not making a mistake,’” he recounted.

According to Onoja, Bello gave private reasons for shifting support, including claims that his “capacity was too much” and that he had lost favour among his people in Kogi East for backing a non-Igala candidate.

“He said my capacity was too much, and I don’t know what that meant. Secondly, he said my people of Kogi East did not really like me because I supported a non-Igala, but that was the perception,” he said, adding that Bello also advised him to consider other opportunities at the federal level.

Asked if he challenged Bello’s decision, Onoja said he accepted it as God’s will and chose to move on despite the pain. “It was shocking and disappointing because when a friend gives you his word, you expect that he should live by it."

ALSO READ: Court blocks Yahaya Bello’s UK medical trip over invalid health report

"But humans are humans, so we have moved on,” he said. Despite the setback, Onoja explained that he remained loyal to the APC and worked for Ododo’s victory. Today, he serves as the North-Central representative on the board of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

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