Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has assured the people of the State and Nigerians in general, that the governorship election billed for November 11, 2023, would be the most peaceful ever held in the state.
The governor also reiterated that he has no blood relationship with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Usman Ododo, contrary to the propaganda by opposition, noting that he emerged based on merit, through a keenly contested, free and fair primary election.
The governor spoke at the 3rd Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents/Editors in Abuja on Friday.
On allegations and counter-allegations regarding the destruction of campaign offices in the state, the governor said the APC candidate remained the most popular and loved and so would not engage in any act that might mar the forthcoming poll.
“Ododo has endeared himself to the people of Kogi. How can you be the most popular candidate, positioned to win and still instigate violence?
“Ododo and I may come from the same place, but we do not share any blood relationship whatsoever. Do your findings. He is a very compassionate, hardworking and competent fellow and those qualities spoke for him at the primaries,” he added.
Bello explained that part of his administration’s focus was to do away with ethnic sentiments that had set the state backwards before his emergence as governor.
“Ethnic sentiments set Kogi back for 19 years and we must break away from that for competence. My administration has changed the narrative of ethnicity and has been appointing and working with competent people as against choosing people from tribes in the state.
“We raise people from different backgrounds, irrespective of their senatorial zones,” he added.
Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said no blood would be shed because of an election.
Fanwo said that security remained key to the state, and, therefore, the State government would not be distracted from the path of peace.
