‘I Have Forgiven Yahaya Bello, But…’, Says Ex-Kogi Deputy Governor Onoja

Former deputy governor of Kogi State, Edward David Onoja, has revealed that he has forgiven his former boss, Yahaya Bello, for actions that strained their political relationship, but noted that broken trust is difficult to restore.

Speaking during an interview on MiC On Podcast published on Saturday night, Onoja explained that while he and Bello served together until the end of their administration, he chose to step back afterwards to create space for himself.

“We served together till the last day, everybody exited and followed the path that God has created for them. I am not serving under him (Bello). It won’t be a daily affair for us to be relating, and we just felt there should be space. Like I said, I isolated myself for a very good period of time,” he said.

On the matter of forgiveness, Onoja said it was essential as a Christian and for moving forward.

“For those actions, by faith and by creed, if you don’t forgive, you can’t move on. If you don’t forgive, you can’t even fly,” he stated.

When pressed by the host on whether he had forgiven former Governor Bello, Onoja responded: “I believe I have, from my heart, I have.”

However, the former deputy governor stressed that trust, once destroyed, was difficult to mend.

“Once you destroy trust, it will be very, very difficult to build,” he said.

Onoja added that he has since moved on with his political career and is now focused on supporting Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and serving under President Bola Tinubu as a Board member of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).

“I am free, looking forward to greater things and then adding value to the current governor (Ododo) in the areas I can, and then serving at the level that God has placed me today. I now have a new principal, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am serving him,” Onoja added.