Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday assured the people of the state and Nigerians in general that the governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023, would be the most peaceful ever held in the state.
Bello gave this assurance while speaking at the 3rd Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents and Editors in Abuja.
He reiterated that he had no blood relationship with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Usman Ododo, contrary to propaganda by the opposition.
According to Governor Bello, the APC standard-bearer, Ododo, emerged based on merit through a keenly contested, free, and fair election.
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 would not engage in any act that might mar the 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?” he asked.
“Ododo and I may come from the same place, but we do not share any blood relationship whatsoever. Do your research.
He is a very compassionate, hardworking, and competent fellow, and those qualities spoke for him at the primaries,” he added.
Speaking further, Governor 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.
He added that his administration ensured it raised people from different backgrounds, irrespective of the senatorial zones they hailed from.
“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 opposed to choosing people from tribes in the state.
“We raise people from different backgrounds, irrespective of their senatorial zones,” he stated.
Earlier, the Kogi Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said no blood would be shed because of an election, assuring that security remained key to the state.
The government would not be distracted and would ensure peace and harmony among the people.