0

 Alongside this, he craves the per­petuation of Ododo, who he sin­glehandedly handpicked to run in the November 2023 governorship poll in Kogi State, in office for a second term. There are loud in­sinuations that both men, and a few other kinsmen, hold the knife to the mutton of state resources. According to the commentator earlier cited on the Lokoja rally, the tragi-comedy relied on very reluctant participants. Attendees were predominantly monetari­ly-induced and literally dragged to the venue of the hoax, just to give an optical illusion of pop­ular participation. Sadly, Bello did himself no favours when he threatened the Kogi State elector­ate with violence should they be inclined to other candidates than those he has prescribed for them. Bello the self-styled “white lion” of Kogi politics vowed that the people of Kogi State will cower when he roars.

Bello, who was allegedly fin­gered in untoward electoral prac­tices as governor, including the animalistic novelty of procuring a helicopter to fire live bullets at voters on queue in his quest for reelection in 2019, has been round­ly chided for threatening electoral mayhem come 2027. Murtala Aja­ka who contested against Bello’s man Ododo in the 2023 poll, and Senator Karimi, are on the same page with the coming success of President Tinubu in 2027. They are unanimous in their conviction that he has acquitted himself sub­stantially in Nigeria’s peculiarly difficult social, economic and po­litical circumstances and deserves the overwhelming nod to complete his good run. But they don’t agree with Bello’s warmongering rhet­oric in a state whose customary calm, charm, serenity and stabil­ity, has been unsettled by insecu­rity in recent months.

For the avoidance of doubt, a civilised endorsement rally was held in Lagos, Tuesday, October 21, 2025. It had in attendance all three of Tinubu’s successors: Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwu­mi Ambode and the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The state legislature led by the long-serving Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the traditional institution, leaders and elders of the state featured prominently at an event which was interactive and seam­less. Typical Lagos-style, it broke into a carnival, without anyone professing his “tigritude,” with­out swear words, invectives and intimidation. Nobody was chant­ing “ekwechi” or “echane’ battle songs. As my senior colleague and kinsman of blessed memory, Prof Ayo Olukotun would have put it while affecting a coinage from a Yoruba expression the Lagos event was a “jelenkeist” outing, easy and smooth.

This is why there must be de­cisive official reaction to Bello’s incendiary talk, beyond the cau­tionary notes already served by well-meaning political leaders in the state. Between the national leadership of the APC and the security superstructure, Nigeri­ans expect some reprimand for Bello’s potentially combustive utterances. We live, rather sadly, in a country where order, sanity, integrity have been thrown to the dogs. Elsewhere, Yahaya Bello, an accused person, would not be the headliner of Tinubu’s reelection campaign. Not in John Dramani Mahama’s neighbouring Ghana. Tinubu indeed has demonstrated resolve when it mattered, to keep in abeyance those whose conduct is capable of impugning his rep­utation and that of his adminis­tration.

Tinubu booted out Betta Edu, Yilwatda’s predecessor from the federal executive council on allegations of corruption in January 2024, and showed the door to Uche Nnaji his Minister for Science and Technology for certificate forgery, weeks ago. Nyesom Wike, Tinubu’s Minister in-charge of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), did not irritate the nation’s ears last month, with his typical self-serving live tele­vision interviews during which he fritters public funds insulting and casting aspersions on others. He has most probably been put on leash. This Tinubu doesn’t seem to like “idoti,” as we allude to dirt, garbage and rubbish in Yoruba.

Bello should be assisted to spend his time in sober reflection and retrospection, regularly en­gaging with his attorneys on his variegated pendency before the courts. He should be more active on his prayer mat, penitent about his past, and prayerful about on­going legal proceedings. Make no mistakes, there are precedents of former Nigerian governors who underwent extended, after-office “vacations” within the walls of our custodial centres, following verdicts about their times in of­fice. Let him ask Jolly Tanko Nyame and Joshua Chibi Dariye, former governors of Taraba and Plateau states.

*Concluded

*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Cre­ative Writing at the University of Abuja