Former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, has revealed that former Governor Yahaya Bello assured him for four years that he would succeed him, only to withdraw the support on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries.
Onoja, currently a board member of the South-East Development Commission, made the disclosure during an interview on the MIC ON Podcast released on Saturday.
The former Chief of Staff, who later became Bello’s deputy, recounted how his principal encouraged him to prepare for succession throughout their time in office.
“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned, I worked, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity to contest,” Onoja said.
According to him, Bello directed about seven cabinet members, including himself, to purchase APC nomination forms. But at the end of the process, his support went to the current governor, Usman Ododo.
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“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice were with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” Onoja stated.
He added that Bello broke the news of his change of preference only a day before the party primary—a decision he said he accepted despite his disappointment.
“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss, you are over me, what you see is what I see, so let’s go get the job done, but I hope you are not making a mistake.’ There were no issues, and then we went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” Onoja added.
Despite the setback, Onoja maintained that he stayed loyal to the APC and worked for Ododo’s emergence as Bello’s successor in the November 2023 governorship election.
