As Nigerians warm up for the 2027 general elections, Ebira indigenes of Kogi State have outlined reasons for calling on the former governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to vie for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat in the 11th National Assembly.
The indigenes, who spoke in separate interviews, said no one had earned the place of a true leader for the people of Kogi Central more than the former governor, whom they described as the architect of the new Ebira image among the major ethnic groups in the state.
According to them, before Bello came into power in 2016, the Ebira people did not have what they termed as leadership identity.
“Many of the young men were used as thugs to confront themselves and disrupt the peace in the Central Senatorial District to the advantage of mainly the East. Insecurity and violence were also at their peak. These were the first things he confronted on assuming office, which culminated in the state having another Ebira man as Governor after him.
“He created a new set of young achievers in all spheres of life and empowered so many children of nobody”, said Aliyu Mohammed, a graphics artiste from Okene, who resides in Abuja.
“People outside may not know what the name Yahaya Bello means to a true Ebira indigene. That is why they keep on conjuring all sorts about him for political reasons. But the more they do this, the more we appreciate what he has gone through and is still going through for our emancipation as an ethnic group”, Mohammed added.
Stakeholders, who were told to compare the strengths of the incumbent senator representing the district in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and Bello, said they had different strengths.
According to them, Kogi Central people will always be grateful to Bello for paving the way for life-time political regeneration for the Ebira people in spite of all odds and bringing massive development to the senatorial district and Kogi State as a whole.
Mrs. Hafsat Suleiman, Convener of Ebira United Women, said no government in the history of the state had given a voice to women like the administration of the former governor, adding that women, especially in the Central will reward him abundantly in the next elections.
She said he appointed a female Secretary to the State Government, female Head of Service, female Aide-De-Camp, among many other key positions, adding that he was the first to appoint women as vice chairmen in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
“For us, the noise about EFCC was expected. Many people did not like his influence in the state and wanted to cut it short by all means. We are not bothered by all that because we know this is persecution by detractors using government agencies.
“We will mobilise heavily for him. This election is one that will show Nigerians who Yahaya Bello really is to the Ebira people beyond all the noise being made by some people on social media”, Suleiman, who is an All Progressives Congress member, said.
Another Ebira indigene, Abass Onimisi, who resides in Lokoja, said he was a supporter of the incumbent senator in the last election but that he would be deceiving himself to think that the senator could win former Governor Bello in a senatorial contest in Kogi Central.
“To be fair, the former governor has paid his dues and deserves to be rewarded by his people, me inclusive. Only those that are not true Ebira blood would cast a stone against Bello. He gave the central a voice and reshaped Kogi politics.
“He also brought landmark achievements to the state. Please search the internet for his achievements. You will be amazed at the first-of-their-kind achievements he brought to the state,, across all critical sectors, within the resources available at the time”, Onimisi said.
He added that before he ventured into politics, he had been a philanthropist, a household name that many Ebira people longed to meet, one on one.
“His popularity soared with his kind-heartedness to fellow human beings that I cannot even begin to count. It was politics that put me on the other side in 2023. The candidate was not someone I wanted. So I went for Natasha. But if Bello is on the field, they have to clear the road”, he said.
Asked whether the ongoing case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would not affect ex-governor Bello’s chances at the polls, a youth leader in Kogi Central, Adams Azeez, said, “Forget about that case. We all know why there is a lot of noise. The more they try to tarnish his image, the more we see him as our hero. If you go to public places where they discuss these things freely, you would appreciate his popularity.
“Many people even say he is suffering for emancipating the people of Ebira land. Unsolicited prayers are being organised across the zone. We are the ones that can say what he has done for us and we are ready to stand by him all through the trial no matter how much the media trial is. Those who were not tormented by anti-graft agencies, point at their legacy projects in Kogi. Yahaya Bello’s legacy is everywhere, from health sector to education, infrastructure. Name it.
“We know this is persecution not prosecution and we will speak loud enough during the elections”, Azeez, who is also a Sport journalist said.
However, many political analysts have acknowledged the hold of the former governor on Kogi State, particularly Kogi central, saying that the 2027 elections, both National Assembly and Governorship, would be very interesting to monitor, considering the hot, peculiar political environment of Kogi State.
