Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has said that the outcome of the just-concluded governorship election in the state has shown that only one section of the state cannot produce the governor.
Bello who revealed this while speaking at a stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress held at the Government House Lokoja on Saturday, said the three tribes in the state, must come together before a governor can be produced.
According to him, the results of the election and subsequent emergence of Ahmed Ododo of the APC were clear indications that the unity he had been preaching in the last seven years had yielded positive results.
The governor however thanked God and President Bola Tinubu for the support which gave birth to the victory of the APC in the November 11 governorship election in the state, saying that the party and its candidate “won the election clean and clear.”
“The journey was full of ups and downs in the last seven years. But we thank God for the resounding victory. With all the obstacles before, during, and after the election, the APC came out stronger.
“The time for everybody to carry his cross has come. Everybody will bear his father’s name because there is still a future,” Governor Bello said.
The outgoing governor who maintained that Kogi State must develop as one united state, implied that under no illusion must any tribe think they could vote for themselves and become governor without the support of other tribes.
He further affirmed that the November 11 governorship election in the state, has shown that unity is the watchword.
“In 2019, I won without ethnic agenda. I cautioned against tribal sentiments and asked that we desist from it before the election.
“I was optimistic that the APC would win the November 11 governorship election. I wanted it to be a sweet victory, the reason I cautioned against sentiments,” he added.
Bello claimed that people allowed emotions and personal and parochial interests to becloud their sense of reasoning, noting that the level of good governance provided by the current administration in the areas of road construction, health care and infrastructural developments was enough for the party to win overwhelmingly.
He described the Igala nation as good people, saying, “The Igala nation are not tribalistic or racist. They are good people but the majority are being misled by poor representation.”
He however assured the people of Kogi West of a payback time, which he promised would soon come, while calling on leaders to educate their people and be selfless.
“Time for Kogi State to consolidate on unity and security among other several achievements is now,” Governor Bello said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, congratulated the APC family and the governor-elect, acknowledging that the victory wouldn’t have been achieved without the support and hard work of the governor.
“Those who could not work for victory should break away from sentiments and work for a united Kogi State in the future,” Onoja said.
In his part, Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, also thanked the people of Kogi West for standing strong, despite three Okun sons being in the contest.
The State Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Bello, in his remarks, appreciated the APC loyalists, for fighting hard while assuring members that the party would do a review of the process to determine those who betrayed the APC during the last election.
