Immediate past deputy governor of Kogi state, Edward Onoja, has recounted how his former principal, Yahaya Bello, assured him for four years that he would succeed him but reneged on the promise.
Bello, who was governor of Kogi from 2016 to 2024, nominated Onoja as his running mate in 2019 for his second term.
Speaking on Saturday during an interview on the Mic on Podcast, Onoja recounted how Bello “repeatedly told him to prepare for the seat”, prompting him to plan and work towards the race.
He said about seven members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including himself, obtained the party’s nomination forms at Bello’s directive.
Onoja noted that the former governor, however, threw his weight behind Usman Ododo, the incumbent governor.
“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 and I worked, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity to contest,” Onoja said.
“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice were with the current governor, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.”
“When he broke the news to me, I told him, ‘You are the boss; you are over me; what you see is what I see. I hope you are not making a mistake.”
The former deputy governor said Bello also privately gave reasons for shifting support, including a claim that his “capacity was too much”.
“He said my capacity was too much, and I don’t know what that meant,” Onoja said.
“Secondly, he said my people of Kogi east did not really like me because I supported a non-Igala, but that was the perception.”
The ex-deputy governor said Bello further suggested that he could take up other roles at the federal level.
Asked if he challenged Bello’s decision, Onoja replied that he accepted it as the will of God, believing his time had not yet come.
“He was the boss; I felt it was not God’s time — maybe there is something bigger ahead,” he added.
Onoja admitted it was painful because Bello had given his word, noting that he moved on and worked for Ododo’s victory.
“It was shocking and disappointing because when a friend gives you his word, you expect that he should live by it. But humans are humans, so we have moved on,” he said.
“I did commit to him that I would work for our party and our candidate, and I did. He (Ododo) is there today serving.”
Onoja, who once served as Bello’s chief of staff before becoming deputy governor, is now a north-central representative on the board of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).