HISTORY was made again in Kogi State yesterday when Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was sworn in by the Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ahana as the new governor without a deputy. It is the first time in Nigeria’s political history that an elected governor would be sworn in without a deputy.
The party had drafted Mr. James Faleke to be the deputy. He refused, insisting on the joint ticket he had with Prince Abubakar Audu, who was leading in the November 21,2015 election. Audu died the following day after the poll when the results were still being collated.
Faleke stuck to his gun by staying away from Bello’s swearing-in even though he alleged of a plot to blackmail him.
Bello, who was overwhelmed by the crowd, started his address by giving glory to God for making him governor. He recited a portion of Chapter three ,Verse 28 of the Holy Koran which literally says, God gives power to whom He desires and honours to who He desires and that power comes from God and He cannot afford to disappoint Him.
The new governor, who wept while recalling his childhood days as a poor young boy who lost his father at a very tender age, said it was quite unimaginable that considering his background, he could ever become a governor, but noted that it was indeed God who brought him to the seat of power.
Bello, who took his oath of office at noon at the Confluence Stadium, commended the national leadership of APC and other stakeholders that made the swearing-in possible.
While saying he would run a government of all inclusiveness with the fear of God, he, however, said he would have zero tolerance for corruption and impunity, adding that a new era has come as he would make Kogi resources to work for Kogi people.
The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun said since Audu’s death, the national leadership had no choice than to accept the will of God by bringing Bello as his replacement.
Bello’s swearing-in ended the over 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule and the over 25years old dominance of Igala at the corridor of power.
Meanwhile, Faleke, who ran with Audu on November 21 last year has alleged that there was a plot to insinuate that he absconded from the swearing-in.
In a statement issued by Mr. Duro Meseko, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, Faleke said there are attempts to “mischievously” announce his name as deputy governor during the oath-taking.
“I want to bring to the attention of Nigerians the plans to call me out to take oath of allegiance as Deputy Governor to Alhaji Yahaya Bello today (yesterday) in Lokoja since it is the Deputy that takes oath first. The mischievous script is to announce my name for oath-taking at least three times after which they would declare that the Deputy Governor-elect has absconded, but would be sworn in at a later date. They would now go ahead to swear in Bello as the the Governor,” he said.
“Let me make it very clear to the good people of Kogi State and Nigerians in general that I am not Deputy to Yahaya Bello and will therefore not be present today at his inauguration,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the swearing-in. National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, in a statement, said the election was won by the PDP governorship candidate, Capt. Idris Wada and further expressed confidence that “the courts would soon deliver justice with regard to the authentic governor with the mandate of the majority at the election.”
The statement reads in part:” The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a comical event organized by the APC as the swearing-in ceremony of one Yahaya Bello, a man who did not participate in the overall election, as Kogi State governor.
“The said Yahaya Bello, who cannot claim the overall winning votes in the election is therefore, a shadow-chasing passer-by on an excursion in Kogi State Government House, as the so-called swearing-in ceremony, having no bearing from the votes at election is at best an APC function.
“The people of Kogi are aware that the man being paraded by the APC is not the person they exercised confidence in at the election as he scored a paltry 6,885 votes in the so-called supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Alhaji Idris Wada in the overall election,” he said.
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