The second term ambition of embattled Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has gotten a big boost as the forum of All Progressives Congress, APC, national and state assembly members-elect in the state have endorsed him to carry on the good work he started.

 

 

The lawmakers also purchased a nomination form, an expression of interest forms for the governor to express their solidarity to his ambition.

 

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Addressing journalists on Wednesday, May 8, the Kogi lawmakers said their move is aimed at dispelling recent rumours geared towards creating animosity between the government and the people of the state.

 

According to the lawmakers, Governor Bello is a detrabilized politician who believes in the progress of the APC and also recognize the 9 federal constituencies in the state.

 

 

Speaking on behlaf of the group, the Speaker of the Kogi state House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, stated that: “We have resolved to put resources together to purchase the gubernatorial nomination and expression of interest form of our party, APC for our amiable governor to contest the 2019 governorship election in Kogi state.

 

 

“We have also resolved to commence work toward his reelection bid at our various constituencies to meet with stakeholders like party leaders, traditional rules, youths and women groups, opinion molders etc, to spread the gospel of GYB to them.

 

 

Bello is seeking to run for a second term under the ruling APC in the November 2019 gubernatorial elections.

Meanwhile, stakeholders of the Kogi state chapter of the APC, have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, demanding that the governor should not be given a second term.

 

 

The petitioners claimed that Governor Bello received about N344billion in the last 38 months of his stewardship, without doing anything with the allocations. They noted that the governor is owing salaries, pensions and gratuities, adding that there are no visible capital projects on the ground anywhere in the state.

 

 

The APC stakeholders described Bello as non- performing and violent in a petition, which was signed by the Convener of the Kogi APC Stakeholders Forum, Sen. Alex Kadiri.

The petition published by Sahara Reporters reads: “Governor Yahaya Bello was never elected by the good people of Kogi State. The death of Abubakar Audu made it possible for Bello to be Kogi State Governor. He has shown everyone that he lacks leadership abilities. He can’t fight for the rights and privileges of Kogi people.

 

 

“We request you to step down your support for the candidature of Governor Yahaya Bello for the forthcoming election in Kogi State.

“If the party fields him as a candidate, we are sure of losing the state to the opposition.”

 

 

The APC stakeholders gave insights into how Governor Bello allegedly mismanaged the statutory allocations.

They said: “For the past 38 months including February 2019 Governor Yahaya Bello has not paid full salaries to the workers of Kogi State, despite the fact that the state received full allocation from the Federation Account as detailed below: Statutory allocation, Excess Crude and Value Added Tax (VAT) (N132b); Internally Generated Revenue by the state(N51b); total allocations to local governments(N111b).

 

 

“Total funds received by the state and local governments: N294 billion. The other funds received by the state are as below: Bail Out (N20b); Paris Club refunds 1, 2, and 3 (N19b); and refunds for road construction by previous governments (N11b).

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