Many departing and former governors are preparing to run for Senate seats in their senatorial districts as they get ready for primary elections in accordance with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) updated schedule.
Particular discussions have focused on the announcement made in December 2025 by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the most recent governor of Kogi State, in response to reports that his citizens had urged him to run for office.
Despite the former governor’s heated dispute with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering, many experts believed that his style of enduring politics needed to be examined given his apparent power among his constituents.
According to certain indigenous people of Kogi State, Bello was a towering political figure whose accomplishments in politics and government helped him maintain his relevance and influence inside the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ahead of the next National Assembly elections, Kogi Central stakeholders expressed their unwavering support for the former governor, citing his enduring legacy throughout the state.
Many of them expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for appointing Bello to the APC’s 2026 National Convention Finance Committee.
As the main political gathering and upcoming elections draw near, they claim that this indicates the former governor’s continued importance within the ruling party’s structure.
The former governor’s bid for the Senate was a “done-deal,” according to Kogi Central stakeholder Hon. Muhammad Kabir, who also noted that other senatorial districts in the state could speak to the enormous progress made by his administration.
He claims that because the public views the former governor’s ongoing conflict with the EFCC as political, it cannot lessen their affection for him.
“Yahaya Bello’s popularity cannot be taken away even though some people he outwitted politically want to purposefully paint him black,” Kabir stated. It doesn’t matter that the EFCC is accompanying him in court. Allow them to slug it out.
He was doing a great job for himself, his village, Ebiraland, and Kogi State as a whole before he was elected governor. I’ve known him for twenty years. He is a charming individual who makes others feel comfortable.
He has inspired a lot of young people in the state and surrounding him. He is not prejudiced. He would listen to you and help you if you approach him. He is the type of person who will take care of you without mentioning whether you are from Okun, Igala, or Ebira. Everyone is treated fairly by him.
Even after leaving office, people continued to flock to former Bello’s home, according to Abdulmajeed Adam, another Ebira native who lives in Abuja but casts his ballot in Ajaokuta.
“His house is usually filled with people every day, even though it’s Ramadan,” he said. People who are close to him claim that he sleeps between one and four in the morning since he takes care of guests all day and long into the night.
“People wouldn’t surround him again if he was a bad person.” Just take a look at the enormous projects he completed while serving in each of the three senatorial districts. People adore him for them, which is why they pushed him to run for the Senate. It detribalizes him. Although his driver has been an Igala man for years, he is an Ebira man.
Adam stated that the residents of Kogi Central chose to call on him to serve in the Senate after realizing the effects of his interventions in the state.
“I can state that his accomplishments in teaching are unparalleled. He hired 3,000 instructors and raised the standard of instruction in classrooms. He constructed and restored numerous schools.
There were a lot of kids in Kogi who weren’t in school when Alhaji Yahaya Bello took office. However, thanks to Yahaya Bello’s intervention, education is now free. He was, in my opinion, the best governor in terms of security.
Yahaya Bello is the reason we have the Conference Rice Mill in Kogi today. He was active in all three senatorial districts.
“World-class hospitals were constructed and renovated by Yahaya Bello.” He hasn’t been going overseas to receive medical care. I know his personal physicians. Therefore, we are prepared to make sure that he represents us in the Senate come 2027 because he is just a man of the people,” he stated.
Bello is a detrabilized politician whose accomplishments speak for themselves, according to Dr. Musa Bashir Adavuruku, Chief Scientific Officer of the National Space Research and Development Agency.
“Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a man of the people, regardless of your background—Muslim or Christian. He is fair to everyone. I can give him an A, especially in terms of his accomplishments while in office and his relationships with others.
The don stated, “The people of Kogi wanted him to do more for them through the Legislative Arm of Government because what they enjoyed during his time was enormous.”
Ms. Idris Asmawu Omeiza, the Country Head of Young Women of Africa, also expressed her opinions regarding Bello’s accomplishments, which have contributed to his increasing prominence in the state.
He was the only former governor who, according to her, favorably brought Kogi into the public eye.
“Alhaji Adoza Yahaya Bello brought Kogi politics and governance to the forefront, so if there was anything Kogi State ever had, it was him,” she stated.
Before Yahaya Bello arrived, we believed that politics was only for the elderly. However, since he became governor, we’ve learned that young Nigerians might also be involved in politics,” she continued.
“The Kogi State we had 20 years ago is not the Kogi State of now,” Omeiza said in reference to Bello’s immense political significance. Because to the security model created by Yahaya Bello, anyone may now move throughout Kogi State in peace.
Yahaya Bello’s ability and inventiveness make him essential to APC. His disagreement with the EFCC is obviously political in nature. The President is aware that Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a difficult person to compromise.
She said, “Don’t forget that he is one of the top five young, nimble, strategic, approachable, and helpful personalities APC currently has.”
Bello’s inclusion on the National Convention Committee of the APC was not unexpected, according to Nuhu Philip, another influential figure in the district.
“Beyond the controversy surrounding his conflict with the EFCC, Bello is a powerful and influential figure in both APC and national politics.
Bello’s increasing power inside the APC and his support for President Bola Tinubu’s political agenda are only strengthened by this. He declared, “This is a man who traveled the entire length of this country mobilizing support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s eventual victory as President of Nigeria.”
Other influential commentators referred to Bello as “a political war general” who is now loved and supported by the Kogi people.
“His people support and admire him even though he is no longer in power in Kogi State. Such a person cannot be dismissed by any political party that is serious about winning elections. Alhaji Yahaya Bello is the expert in election strategy.
He commands a strong structure as a performer in office, which has been established through years of party domination, executive control, and calculated patronage.
By 2027, Bello’s political apparatus will still be strong, well-established, and battle-tested, prepared to maintain power and reclaim dominance in Kogi Central. Political scientist Paul Edime said, “I refer to him as a political war general.”
Strong voices in Kogi State’s political community disclosed that Bello is a valuable member of the national APC and has enormous influence and respect.
The senatorial candidate was referred to as a “master strategist and election planner” by a Kogi Central Peoples Democratic Party leader who wished to remain anonymous for private reasons.
“Alhaji Yahaya Bello led the Renewed Hope in 2023 and made a significant contribution to President Bola Tinubu’s win, despite the fact that I do not share his political affiliation.
Alhaji Bello will therefore continue to be important, prominent, and productive in Nigeria’s democratic processes due to his intelligence and wisdom, he stated.
In response to Bello’s desire to run for Kogi Central Senatorial, the politician only stated, “It is a done-deal.” His followers adore him. Since they have faith in him and his accomplishments speak for him, they actually begged him to come save them. Alhaji Yahaya Bello would run on a platform of simply upholding all moral principles and following the rules of customary election procedures.
“Once he enters the Senate, he will significantly improve Kogi Central’s and Nigeria’s overall fortunes.”
“For me, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a key player in the Nigerian project,” stated a university instructor in the state who went by the name Suleiman. His initiatives in Kogi State have demonstrated his strong desire to see Nigeria flourish.
Despite the limited resources available to the state at the time, he is credited for creating modern Kogi State. I have no doubt that his party and the public view him favorably because of these admirable traits.
Clement Udah, another native, praised the former governor for “making Kogi State proud,” claiming that his political actions forced the state to be taken seriously by national officials.
Bello had an enduring political architecture and was a disciplined political leader, according to Udah. He claimed that since entering politics many years ago, the senatorial candidate has improved Kogi politics and changed administration.
It is regrettable that certain individuals have used politics as a means of extortion and unwarranted persecution. If Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s life story had not been one of exceptional discipline, diligence, and selfless service to the public, he would have been forgotten long ago.
“There is a reward for mobility and integrity, as evidenced by the fact that he is rising higher in national politics every day.”
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