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A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Usman Okai Austin, has refuted allegations that the immediate past governor, Yahaya Bello, influenced the decision of youths to avoid participating in the EndBadGovernance protest in the state.
Austin, the 2023 PDP candidate for the House of Representative election for Dekina/Bassa, said Bello’s actions and policies have not contributed to maintaining peace in Kogi State, but rather have had a negative impact on the state.
He accused the former governor of bringing hunger to the state during his tenure.
Naija News reports that this response from Austin comes in light of a recent article by Sulaimon Adejoh, suggesting that the former governor played a role in ensuring peace in the state amidst the ongoing nationwide protest.
Adejoh, in his piece, claimed that Bello viewed the protest as a threat to his support for President Bola Tinubu’s presidential aspirations.
“Someone indeed pulled some strings, the same way he has been pulling it since 2016. That someone is Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, the one who as governor, restored security in Kogi State.
“Despite his ordeals in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), since he left office as governor of Kogi State, he has remained firm in his conviction that all well-meaning Nigerians must support President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency and nothing must be done to derail the President.
“Yahaya Bello therefore saw the call for protest by some groups as an agenda that must not be allowed to fly in Kogi State. He gave his full support to the State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo and rallied all the necessary stakeholders, especially the youths behind him to ensure that not a single soul joined the protest in the State,” Adejoh noted in his article.
Austin has, however, criticized Adejoh’s assertion, emphasizing that Bello’s previous administration resulted in significant hunger within the state.
“Muri Ajaka, who experienced injustice and fraud in the recent election, had the potential to incite unrest in Kogi State amid the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. Nevertheless, he prudently urged his supporters to maintain their composure.
“Similarly, Senator Echocho and Karimi issued strong statements urging peace in their various Senatorial districts in Kogi state.
“Ironically, Yahaya Bello, who is metaphorically imprisoned in the Government House in Lokoja, claims to be the one maintaining peace in Kogi state. This is far from the truth, as Bello’s actions and policies have been detrimental to the state,” Daily Post quoted Austin saying in a statement on Friday.
The statement added: “He secretly hopes for a serious protest in Kogi, believing it would distract us from his own troubles with the EFCC, a federal agency investigating him.
“Bello should respect himself and remain quiet, acknowledging his own failures. Kogi people are already accustomed to hunger, which Bello’s leadership has exacerbated, making Kogi one of Nigeria’s hungriest states. The people feel unlucky under the APC-led federal government.”
The post Protest: Yahaya Bello Brought Hunger, Not Behind Peace In Kogi – PDP Chieftain appeared first on Naija News.
