Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has cursed out his cabinet and aides, accusing them of working with the opposition party to stifle his handpicked successor, Usman Ododo.
Bello bragged that he would punish all those who have erred him, describing them as “enemies within”.
In a meeting with All Progressives Congress members in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, the outgoing governor went on a rant, accusing members of his party of working against him and Ododo.
“All of those disgruntled elements” moved against him “after everything I did for them,” he claimed in his rant.
“I was fighting known enemies while enemies within were pulling me down. God punish you all.”
“They said if it can’t be me, then it can’t be Ododo. They were busy conniving and conspiring with the opposition.
“They call themselves leaders but were misleading the people. Shame on you all,” he added.
Yahaya Bello’s rant was not limited to his cabinet and aides alone but also to APC leaders. He threatened to deal severely with any APC leader who threatened their subordinates.
He then lashed at a serving APC senator in Kogi state whom he claimed to have revived financially after his brothers wrecked him.
“Today, you are a second-term serving senator. You were laughing with us while you went behind to text opposition messages to hinder our party from having 25 per cent in some local governments,” Yahaya Bello claimed.
Chronicle NG reports that Ododo was declared the winner of the Kogi governorship election held on November 11, 2023, by INEC.
He polled 446,237 votes, defeating Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who garnered 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 46,362 votes.
Yahaya Bello and the Kogi government dillydallied over claims that there was an assassination attempt on his life weeks before the election.
