The payment, according to the Director (Media and Publicity), Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Council, Yemi Kolapo, had made him the first to officially seal his aspiration to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

With the payment, Kolapo said the governor would on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, pick his expression of interest and nomination forms.

She recalled that thousands of Nigerians from all walks of life had stormed the Eagle Square in the nation’s capital, on Saturday, April 2, 2022, to witness the official acceptance of Governor Bello to vie for the 2023 Presidency

The venue of the declaration was filled to the brim while an almost equal crowd was seen outside the venue, with many support groups clad in different distinct attires, chanting solidarity songs.

Kolapo said, “With the payment for the forms, Governor Bello’s teeming supporters should rest assured that he will be on the ballot in the 2023 presidential race. We are highly encouraged by the number of APC Governors, leaders, and stakeholders who have demonstrated their strong support for the candidacy of our Principal.

“We reiterate that he is not known for betrayal. He is always very loyal to his own and his priorities have always been Nigeria, Nigeria, and Nigeria.

The FCT INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yahaya Bello, said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.

Bello said that the commission had observed challenges faced by voters due to the non-functionality of the BVAS and was working to address them.

“Equally, there was also the misunderstanding about what to do with the BVAS. The election is the only Area Council Election in this country that is being conducted by INEC, and it invested heavily in the preparation for the election. We have Registration Area Centre Technicians trained in order to respond to any malfunctioning of the BVAS and provided transportation for them for swift response,” he said.

Bello stated that six INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners and three National Commissioners were drafted to the election to ensure its success.

He said “We have upcoming elections, so between now and then the issues would be looked into to avoid future challenges.”

The governor shared this thought while speaking when he received the Commander-General of HCN, Joshua Osotimehin, in his office today Saturday, November 13.

In his words “President Buhari inherited a country that was drifting security-wise, economic wise and otherwise. Mr President inherited a country where bombs are being detonated every day in the North-East even in Abuja. Mr President inherited a security system that was already decaying, ill-motivated, ill-equipped and not well trained. Mr President has reviewed the welfare package of all the security forces in this country severally. I make bold to say that more than you can imagine, 90 per cent, of the insecurity we are witnessing today in our country is largely political, be it Boko Haram, banditry and farmers/herders clash, and even assassination sometimes, kidnapping.”

He said they have been legally empowered by the Not Too Young To Run Act signed into law by the President, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in 2018, which affirmed the whole essence of their constitutional and allied statutory freedoms.

The governor made this known on Monday at a 3-day retreat of young Nigerian Parliamentarians in Lagos themed ‘Youth Alliance Preparatory To The 2023 General Elections’ where he was represented by his Special Adviser on Youths and Students Affairs, Jubril Ogundare.

Governor Bello noted that The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was now in Conference Stage and decisions over the conduct of party primaries and electronic transmission of poll results must be concluded swiftly and honestly, with full regards for the applicable facts and realities of our modern age.

Governor Bello hailed the organizers for fronting such a bold and worthy theme which perfectly befits young individuals like them who have accomplished the near-impossible in Nigeria, contesting and winning elections into high public offices at a relatively young age.

He said, “A nation must be equitable and allow everyone to thrive on his own merits. Tribe, religion, class, age, gender or physical ability must not be used to discriminate against or marginalise anyone and civics must encourage cooperation and integration as a cardinal tenet of citizenship. We have to start substituting the place of residence for the state of origin and finding ways to immediately and brutally punish corruption in private and public spheres.”

In February this year, the union went on strike to demand payment of N475 billion compensation for the lives of members and properties lost during the #EndSARS protest and Shasa market chaos. They also demanded that all roadblocks on federal highways be removed as they are being used to subject their members’ serious hardship. Read here.

The strike was later to be called off after Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, mediated.

At a meeting chaired by its President, Comrade Muhammad Tahir and held in Abuja on Tuesday, June 8, the Northern traders threatened to go on strike if the Federal government doesn’t fulfil its promise to pay them the said compensation.

They gave the government a three-week ultimatum to implement the signed agreement that led to the calling-off of their strike in March. They also alleged that their members were still being extorted by security agencies and harassed in the South – East.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja over the weekend, Yahaya Bello who is nursing a presidential ambition said the party leaders had an agreement on no zoning when the party was being formed.

He said “There is nothing like zoning in our party. In 2015, there was no zoning; many aspirants, including former governor Rochas Okorocha contested. In 2019, there was no zoning; people in APC were not courageous enough to contest with President Muhammadu Buhari. If it’s the will of God for me to become president in this country at the right time, I will be. I will record a vote that has never been recorded in Nigeria by the grace of God. But that’s not the issue right now; the issue is there must be Nigeria before we talk of 2023”

Governor Bello who has never hidden his disbelief about the COVID19 pandemic in Nigeria has said he will not be taking the vaccine.

In an interview with Channels TV on Friday, March 5, Governor Bello said“COVID-19 is not our business in Kogi State. We have more pertinent issues and more pertinent matters that we are attending to in Kogi State. Insecurity we met, we’ve tackled it and several others. Disunity we met on the ground and we have united Kogi State today not COVID-19. COVID-19 is just a minute aspect of what we are treating or handling in Kogi State; there have been outbreaks of Lassa Fever and Yellow Fever and those were handled without making noise about it. The last Yellow Fever (outbreak), we vaccinated our people against Yellow Fever, we encouraged them, we educated them and they felt the impact…If the Federal Government is gracious enough and give us COVID-19 vaccines, we will equally sensitise our people, people who wish to come and take can come and take but I am not going to subject the people of Kogi State to vaccines or vaccination and I will not make them the guinea pigs. Mr President is the leader of this country. I respect him so high; all of us respect him so much. We love him and he is leading by example. If he needs to take the vaccine and he takes it, it is a welcome development. As far as I am concerned, I don’t need to take the vaccine. There is nothing wrong with me, I am hale and hearty. I am 100 per cent healthy…I won’t take any vaccine.”

Those who filed the appeals were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Action Peoples Party (APP), and the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).

In its appeal, APP had claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unlawfully excluded it from the governorship election in the state. While delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shuaibu dismissed the party’s appeal. He also affirmed the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed the petition filed by the APP and awarded a cost of N100,000 against the party.

Mr Musa Wada of the PDP was penalized by the court and his appeal was also dismissed. Wada was ordered to pay a sum of N100,000 each to Governor Bello, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and INEC, who were listed as respondents in the appeal.

INEC on November 18, 2019, declared Bello winner of the state governorship election. He polled a total of 406,222 votes to beat his closest rival, Wada who scored 189,704 votes and Akpoti who garnered a total of 9,482 votes.

Bello was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in the November 16, 2019 poll in Kogi State.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Musa Wada, had petitioned the state election tribunal, challenging Yahaya’s election. They alleged that the election was characterized by irregularities, violence, ballot snatching and stuffing, and non-compliance with the electoral act, constitution and INEC’s guideline for governorship elections.

The tribunal in its ruling delivered today May 23, struck out the petition for lack of substantial evidence by the opposition.

Bello was declared winner by INEC’s Returning Officer in Kogi State, Prof. Ibrahim Garba after polling a total of 406, 222 votes to defeat his closest rival, Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled 189, 704.

The incumbent governor won 12 local government councils while Engr. Wada won nine local government councils.

The results of the election as declared by INEC are as follows:

Ogori Magongo
APC 3,679
PDP 2,145

Ijumu LGA
APC 11 425
PDP 7,587

Omala LGA
APC 8,473
PDP 14,403

Adavi LGA
APC 64,657
PDP 366

Igalamela/Odolu
APC 8,075
PDP 11,195

Okene LGA
APC 112,764
PDP 139

Kabba-Bunu
APC 15,364
PDP 8,084

Kogi/Koton-Karfe
APC 14,097
PDP 9,404

Yagba East
APC 6,735
PDP 7,546

Okehi LGA
APC 36,954
PDP 478

Mopamoro
APC 4,953
PDP 3,581

Idah LGA
APC 4,602
PDP 13,962

Ajaokuta
APC 17,952
PDP 5,565

Olamaboro
APC 16,876
PDP 8,155

Yagba West

APC 7,868
PDP 8,860

Ankpa
PDP-28,108
APC-11,268

Ofu
APC-11006
PDP-12,264

Bassa LG
APC -8386,
PDP-9724

Ibaji
APC 12,682
PDP 10,504

Dekina
APC 8,948
PDP 16,575

Lokoja
APC 19, 457
PDP 11, 059