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Okun leaders at the weekend, for the second time, rejected the overture of Senator Smart Adeyemi that Governor Yahaya Bello should be supported for a second term in office.
At a meeting held on Friday night, where prominent Okun leaders including General DM Jemibewon(Rtd), Gen JOS Oshanupin(Rtd) and a host of others were present, the leaders told Senator Smart Adeyemi who led a delegation comprising Chief Yusuf Tawari and AB Mamman that Okun people could not see the justification to support Governor Bello second term, in view of his neglect of the people of the area and in the face of the Governor’s abysmal performance in nearly four years.
The leaders who expressed anger at Senator Adeyemi for having the enfrontery to raise such a satanic move with them, advised the Senator to retrace his steps,to avoid incurring the wrath of people.
A source at the meeting said the leaders pointedly asked Smart the basis for seeking support for Governor Yahaya Bello notting that in four years the Governor has no singular achievement in the entire senatorial district.
“you told us that you were supporting Yahaya Bello because he has promised to handover to kogi west after his tenure. But Governor Yahaya Bello has come before the world and declared that Kogi west should go and position itself strategically because he has no power to determine who will succeed him. Please tell us what is the meaning of that?”
The leaders counselled Senator Adeyemi to stop misleading the people and accused him of leading the Okun Development Association (ODA) President, Barr Femi Mokikan and some traditional rulers to Lugard House where they were kept waiting for Five (5) hours just to see a governor who is seeking for their votes.
“That was a disgraceful outing”, the leaders lamented.
A source who attended the meeting said the leaders told Senator Adeyemi that they want to keep their integrity which they have laboured to build over the years intact.
It would be recalled that Smart had earlier convened a meeting with the leaders where he gave a firm assurance that Governor Yahaya Bello had undertaken to handover to an Okun man after his tenure.
He had also disclosed at that meeting that the Governor had no intention to support Edward Onoja or anybody from Kogi East to succeed him.
Observers believe that the sudden advances from Senator Adeyemi to the leaders, whom he had long held in contempt was nothing short of desperation, deceit and mischief and a calculated ploy to hoodwink the leaders into supporting Governor Yahaya bello for a second term.
