Former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, said ex-Governor Yahaya Bello assured him for years that he would succeed him, only to back current governor Usman Ododo, on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in 2023.
Speaking on the MIC ON podcast at the weekend, Mr Onoja, who served as Mr Bello’s chief of staff before becoming his deputy, said the former governor repeatedly told him to prepare for succession.
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“For four years before 2023, he (Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared,’” Mr Onoja said.
Mr Onoja said Mr Bello later encouraged several cabinet members to purchase APC nomination forms before informing him privately that his support was for Mr Ododo.
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“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, but I hope you are not making a mistake.’”
The former deputy governor disclosed that Mr Bello gave three reasons for sidelining him: that his “capacity was too much,” that some people in Kogi East did not support him because of his alliance with Mr Bello, and that he could be more useful in potential federal roles.
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Despite the setback, Mr Onoja said he remained loyal to Mr Bello and the APC, working for Mr Ododo’s victory in the November 2023 election.
“No regrets for serving with Yahaya Bello,” he said. “He has given me opportunities to serve, learn, grow, network and he has given me a national face.”
Mr Onoja also dismissed claims that he acted as part of a shadowy cabal in Mr Bello’s administration, insisting he was instead the governor’s “chief strategist”, who influenced many appointments, particularly from his Igala-dominated senatorial district.
Mr Onoja, who is currently on the board of the South-East Development Commission, said he holds no grudge over the broken promise but said it remained difficult to accept.
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