Yahaya Bello Swearing In As Governor Of Kogi State – Photos and Updates
Today January 27th 2016, the Governor of Kogi State Captain Idris Wada will Officially Hand over to the Governor Elect of Kogi State During the last election in the person of Yahaya Bello , some people and good citizens of the state shared some Congratulatory message which am going to publish here , with some pictures of the preparation going on at the stadium where Yahaya bello will Today be sworn in as the Governor of Kogi State , People asked me some question About the Deputy Governor the Kogi Governor elect will be sworn in with today which i can not really give you the answer to that one.
Read the Congratulatory messages from people as Yahaya Bellow will be sworn in as the Governor of Kogi state Today January 27th 2016. very soon —- Yahaya Bello is now the Governor of Kogi State
Brethren, how’s Okene this morning? I wish I could be in town to take part in this great festivity.
Big congratulations to all Ano Ebiras, Kogites and Nigerians.
Long live Governor Elect, Yahaya Bello. May God equip you with divine wisdom, love and with all leadership skills in your reign to make kogi state proud, in Jesus name. Amen
Fairplus, fear God and do good –
Sadiq Steve
The governor of Kogi State, Capt Idris Wada has presented the handing over document of kogi state to the incoming governor, Yahaya Bello.
The document was presented to the incoming governor who was represented by the chairman of the transition committee of the incoming government, Alhaji Isah Shaibu by the Chairman of the transition steering committee, His Excellency Arc Yomi Awoniyi.
Earlier, Capt Wada thanked the people of kogi state for their support and urged them to give maximum support to the incoming government to succeed. God bless Nigeria God bless Kogi State.
Musa Omakoji Attah Yakubu
I am writing this piece as Joe Igbokwe not as APC Publicity Secretary Lagos State…
I am writing as an independent writer and a public commentator on national affairs. Please permit me to air my views before we swear in Alhaji Yahaya Bello who never won the governorship election in Kogi State. The System may have decided in their own wisdom to swear in Mr Bello but l want history to record that l saw a travesty and an aberration coming and raised an alarm. The alarm may be ignored but history which neither personal wealth nor power can circumvent will be my witness.
The truth here and nothing but the truth is that the late Chief Abubakar Audu/James Abiodun Faleke won the November 21, 2015 Governorship election fair and square before Audu’s death in the early hours of Sunday, November 22, 2015.
When the news filtered into the public space that Audu had died what the State INEC Returning Officer, Professor Emmanuel Kucha would have done was to do an urgent truthful and honest consultations, carry out a simple Arithmetic, check the number of registered voters, check the number of those with PVCs in 91 polling Units. The world was told that there were 49,000 Registered Voters in the remaining 91 polling Units and out of the 49,000 voters only 25,000 had PVCs. But the late Audu was leading with 41,000 votes.
Assuming that all the 25,000 persons with PVCs voted for PDP, Abubakar Audu would still have beaten Governor Wada silly with 16,000 votes. This professor turned sound reasoning upside down by saying the election was inconclusive and ordered for supplementary election in the remaining 91 polling units. Now what was the result Only about 10,000 votes were garnered in the futile exercise that wasted everybody’s precious gift of time, energy, money, strength and power.
Now a combination of ethnic politics, primordial sentiments, and fear of the unknown led APC Kogi and APC National to do the unthinkable by pushing Alhaji Bello who lost the primaries, and may not have supported the APC candidate in the course of the elections proper to steal the mandate won by Prince Audu and James Faleke in a keenly contested exercise fraught with excruciating pains, doubts, apprehension, anxiety, fatigue, panic and unease. What was their excuse Faleke did not partake in the primaries. Now do Deputy Governors take part in Primaries This is the absurdity that led to the emergence of an interloper and intruder, Alhaji Bello.
After the travesty, I saw BELLO’s Family members singing and dancing the music titled ‘Na God Win’. No, No, our God is a God of justice and equity. You cannot reap where you did not sow. Another will not plant and another will harvest.
I rely like other eminent Lawyers in Nigeria who are not being economical with the truth on Section 181 (1)of the Constitution that says’ if a person duly elected as Governor dies before taking and subscribing the oath of allegiance and oath of office, or is unable for any reason whatsoever to be sworn in, the person elected with him as the deputy governor shall be sworn in as governor and he shall nominate a new deputy governor who shall be appointed by the governor with the approval of a simple majority of House of the Assembly of the state’ I rely on this because the election had been won and lost before Prince Audu died. This has been proved beyond reasonable doubts by the miserable outcome of the useless supplementary election.
This is grave injustice and open stealing of another person’s mandate taking cover in a confusing and complicated document called the Electoral Act. They tell me in the human rights community that when a law structured in such a way that it will encourage injustice the law must be broken. In international jurisprudence they say it is better to set 1000 criminals free than to convict one innocent person.
The shenanigans and ethnic champions in Kogi State never bothered to think about the huge sacrifices and pains Prince Audu went through to win the election. They have not cared to remember that he went into elections with ill health and still managed to come out victorious through dint of hardwork though he died thereafter. Did any of these people bother to think about the family he left behind What about what he expended in the course of the elections Did Bello trasverse the length ad breadth of Kogi State canvassing for votes as did Audu and Faleke
Did Bello support APC during the election What is going to happen in Kogi State on Wednesday January 27 2015 frightens me as an activist and believer in equity and social justice. It worries me to the marrows that there is deafening silence in town as if all the decent men and women who should speak out have suddenly lost their steam and voices. I am told that the truth that must be spoken never forgives silence. Evil triumph in any society when good men do nothing.
I know full well that the Supreme Court of Nigeria will do the needful when Faleke gets there in the fullness of time. Audu/Faleke got the majority of votes in Kogi governorship election and got the mandate to preside over the affairs in that state for four years. That Faleke refused to accept the poisoned chalice as deputy governor should serve as a signal to the interlopers and intruders in Kogi that Wednesday’s event is not the end of the matter.
Those dancing the music ‘Na God Win’ are using the name of God in vain. They will dance ‘Our God Na God of Justice’ when the chips are down. James Faleke please go to sleep. You are the owner of the game when common sense returns even though common sense is not common. I rest my case.
—Igbokwe wrote from Lagos
Very soon the Old Brigades that piloted the affairs of Kogi State will officially hand over power to this young, energetic, visionary and progressive young man,ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO ADOZA. Now the era of accepting greed avarice,nepotism,tribalism,divide-and-rule and corruption as virtue is gone. I’m waiting to see a better and greater Kogi State. Congrats Kogites!!!
Hussein’zeez Ozovehe Zeemaster
God gives power. On this occasion of d swearing in of ‘ayb’ a dawn of a new era has come to kogi state. Our happiness is seeing pdp(sharing the money) giving way for apc(good governance). I urge the new governor ‘ayb’ to build a legacy synonymous with meaningful development to the three senatorial zones, discover the abundant human and natural resources god has bestowed on kogi land by tapping and harnessing these potentials. We would like to see a proud kogi were her people will be contented at home with job/work and no longer be non indigene in other state not compared to ours. For the political prostitute, ‘jumpologist’, cross carpeters, we know you and you know yourselves, it is no longer business as usual of looting. Have a positive change of attitude, value reorientation with every sense of humour. If you are entrusted with position of authority build a land mark achievement worthy of emulation. Long live the governor ‘ayb’, kogites and the federal republic of nigeria, god bless. –
Emmanuel Odoh
*kogi*decides*today is the day,every where is bubbling,everywhere is shaking,the kogite are waiting,,,,ladies and gentlemen alhaji yahaya bello adoza ”fairplus” we today be swear in and be inaugurated, as the newly governor-elect of the state,,,but he will be swear in without a deputy counterpart,at confluence stadium lokoja,,, kogi state gate fee is free,time 9am*president muhammadu buhari and vice president yemi osinbanjo, and senate president bukola saraki to grace the occasion,,,if eventually the swear in takes place that will be the first time a ”egbira idigene” will be taking a step ahead in ruling kogi state,,,,it has been ruling and dominated by the igala’s since creation of the state*
Alexadra Kodirez
If God be for you no one can be against you! Alhaji Bello Fairplus you are destiny from above. You are untouchable, unshakeable & unchangeable, may your days be Long, may you be a success to the land of kogi state, may your light continue to shine like a star, the almighty God shall perfect His work in your life & the state. Always remember you have someone to rely on which is God the lord of the world & master of the day of accountability. Leadership is not an easy task but we believe God will lead you through. Congratulations to Ebira land & kogi state
Isah Hazakirat
MESSAGE FROM KOGI MANDATE QUEST AS WE SUPPOSEDLY TRANSIT FROM KOGI PDP TO KOGI APC,TODAY THE 27TH JANUARY, 2016
Dear Kogites,
We feel very humbled and overwhelmed over your steadfastness and resilience ever since the Audu/Faleke campaign started. We came with a mission to liberate our dear state from its present state of hopelessness which the long years of the PDP’s misrule has inflicted on our psyche collectively as a state and individuals.
The Audu/Faleke campaign was premised on change,after the order of Buhari/APC change mantra, provision of means of livelihood to our teeming hopeless youths scattered across the length and breadth of our dear state and the urgent need to revamp our dying economy which was once the pride and envy of all. We saw the compelling need to transform the state’s landscape through massive infrastructural projects which would help in turning kogi state to the Confluence state of our dreams.
Death, the ultimate end to all human adventures dealt a rather most unfortunate blow to our rescue mission bid in Kogi State by calling unto glory, our leader and father, Prince Abubakar Audu at a time he was already coasting home to victory.
It was rather unfortunate that the electoral umpire, INEC, instead of concluding the process that was already in motion and nearing conclusions by declaring the Prince Abubakar Audu ticket jointly held by him and Hon.James Abiodun Faleke as the eventual winner of the November 21, 2015 reneged by declaring the election as inconclusive against all forms of logic and wisdom which was totally strange and alien to us as a nation which thereafter fostered on us a strange beneficiary of the over 240,000 votes collectively given the Audu/Faleke campaign train.
Our fellow Kogites, as our national anthem reads that “the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain” we like to reassure everyone of you that has stood by us to this day in the face of seeming intimidation and provocation from all quarters that our collective will and determination to reclaim the Audu/Faleke ticket will be actualised.
We have a team of legal experts that are currently at the tribunal representing our collective interests and also exploring alternative means at the upper courts to ensure that the mandate that was freely given to the late Prince Abubakar Audu and James Faleke is reclaimed and returned back to us.
We once again thank you all for your steadfastness, support and believe in the Audu/Faleke project and assure you that with God on our side, we shall prevail.
Long Live Audu/Faleke Political family.
Long Live Kogi State.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Kogi Mandate Quest
KOGI: A STATE TRANSITING IN CRISIS
It is a new dawn as Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) takes the baton from Idris Wada as Kogi State Governor, ending the 13-year reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s). However, controversy appears to be trailing Bello’s ascension into office. His emergence as the candidate for the supplementary election, following the sudden death of the flag bearer, Abubakar Audu, has polarised the ruling party. As Bello takes the driver’s seat in the Confluence State, Audu’s running mate, James Faleke, is in court protesting what he describes as wrongful substitutions. For the new governor, it is not yet over until it is over, write BUNMI OGUNMODEDE and EMMANUEL OLADESU.
IT’S no longer news that Alhaji Yahaya Bello will today take the keys to the Lugard Government House in Lokoja from Kogi State Governor Idris Wada. What is news is that James Abiodun Faleke, whose party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – fielded as his deputy will not be on the podium to take the oath with him.
Faleke, who paired with Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21, last year election, turned down the offer after the demise of Audu, who was set to win the election before it was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on November 22, 2015.
Faleke said the residual election was unnecessary since the votes being expected from the 91 polling units would be inconsequential. At close of collation on November 22, 2015, the late Audu, who polled 240,867 votes, was leading incumbent Governor Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 199,415, with 41, 452 votes.
To him, the election had been won and lost and that since it was a joint ticket, the proper thing to do was for the co-pilot to take over the flight following Audu’s death on the day he should have been declared the winner.
As Bello takes the Oath of Office, Faleke and Mohammed, the eldest son of the late Prince Audu, will be leading members of the Audu political family in Audu’s Abuja home to celebrate the first phase of transition in the Confluence State .
A source told The Nation that the Abuja party was specifically organised to enable the family celebrate the life and times of the late Audu and his contributions to the state’s political development.
“We’ll be at the house of our leader in Abuja to show the world that we are not bitter. We’ll be praying for the health of our state and Faleke will be joining us after today’s session at the National Assembly,” the source confided in The Nation yesterday.
A governor and
his legitimacy crisis
Not a few Nigerians believe the leadership of the APC under its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, erred in its preference to draft Bello into the race after Audu’s demise. They argue that Faleke, who was on the ticket with Audu and who participated actively in all the 35 rallies that earned the APC a resounding victory, ought to have been elevated to conclude the process.
The PDP candidate had gone to the tribunal to kick against the declaration of Bello as winner of the election, based on the outcome of the December 5, 2015 supplementary poll. Bello polled 6,885 from the 13,000 voters who turned out to vote in 91 polling units across 18 local government areas for the residual election. Wada, whose initial score rose to 204, 877 from 199,415 after the supplementary poll, believes it will be illogical for Bello to be declared the winner. He has asked the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to declare him the winner because as a far as he is concerned, Bello, who, was not on the ballot as at the time he (Wada) polled 199,415 on November 21, 2015, could not dislodge him with 6,885 votes from the supplementary election of December 5, last year.
The rejection of the running mate slot by Faleke compounds Bello’s legitimacy. On December 1, last year, Odigie-Oyegun convened a stakeholders’ meeting to announce Bello as the party’s replacement for Audu and the retention of Faleke on the ticket as his running mate. He told his audience that the APC decision had been communicated to INEC. Faleke turned down the offer. He documented his rejection to Odigie-Oyegun and INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu.
In his letter, Faleke urged the party and INEC to treat his memo as a decision “to dissociate myself from this and strange supplementary nomination as the running mate to Bello. This is also to serve as a notice of rejection of the purported and illegal nomination of myself as running mate to Bello.”
According to Faleke, he was not informed by anybody before his name was forwarded to INEC Bello’s running mate.
Reaping another
man’s labour
The thinking in some political quarters is that Bello has come to reap where he did not plant. It was learnt that Bello did not show up at any of the campaign rallies that were staged in 35 centres across the state in the run-up to the November 21, 2015 election. Faleke alleged in his letter that “Bello has since the conduct of the primary, abandoned the party, took the party to court and worked for the PDP, thereby causing the party (APC) to lose at his (Bello’s) polling unit and repeated same feat at the ward level where APC scored 1,146 to PDP’s 2,058.” The Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation described the choice of Bello as Audu’s replacement as the zenith of reward for disloyalty.
The organisation claimed that a reconciliation meeting convened by the APC leadership after the primaries was spurned by Bello. He claimed that the late Audu had a case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and that he would not sit on the same table with him. It described as an irony of fate for Bello, who made reconciliation impossible to turn around and inherit the victory of a man he scorned.
A string of litigations
The Kogi Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal is awash with petitions from the various parties, including Labour Party (LP), whose prayer to stop today’s swearing in of Bello as governor was struck out by the tribunal. Wada’s petition is also pending before the panel. He is praying the Tribunal to return him to office based on the simple reason that Bello was not on the governorship ballot ab initio and that votes scored by the late Prince Audu were not transferable. Wada and his party had argued that since the APC candidate died before the conclusion of the election the proper thing for INEC to do was to declare him, as the candidate with the second highest number of votes, the winner. They said the conduct of the supplementary poll was uncalled for.
The late Audu’s running mate is laying claim to the victory of the Audu/Faleke ticket. He urged INEC to declare him the governor-elect. Faleke said he will not surrender the mandate freely given to the joint Audu/Faleke ticket. He will not be today’s inauguration.
Failed reconciliation
The Nation learnt that no serious reconciliation took place to resolve the crisis thrown up by the death of Prince Audu and his replacement with Bello.
A source said the national leadership of the party deliberately shut the doors against the key players in the game.
“Instead of talking to the real gladiators, the party was busy meeting with Abuja-based politicians who know next to nothing in Kogi politics,” a source told The Nation .
The source went on: “At a point, the party leadership was discussing with an estranged member of the Audu family. Is that how to dialogue? You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. That is not possible. Any reconciliation that excludes Faleke and Mohammed cannot pass the credibility test”
Faleke confirmed the insincerity in the reconciliation. He said the only time the APC National Chairman called him to a meeting was on December 1, when he (Odigie-Oyegun) said his name and that of Bello had been forwarded to INEC as governorship candidate and running mate for the December 5, 2015 supplementary poll.
What’s Bello’s vision?
Bello has come to reap where he did not sow, many have said. Fate has catapulted him to the front burner, although he did not dream of bouncing back after returning to his shell, following his poor showing at the shadow poll. Ambitious politicians should have some lessons to learn from his post-primary disengagement. Instead of embracing hope as the elixir of life, his temporary setback at the primary beclouded his sense of judgment. Having lost the ticket, he resolved to rock the boat. Aggrieved APC chieftains have maintained that Bello has an unrivalled record of anti-party activities during the electioneering. When Audu and Faleke were busy canvassing for votes across the three senatorial districts, Bello played a great role in subverting their efforts. When he was brought back in controversial circumstance to fly the party’s flag during the residual election, his choice as a substitute elicited wild condemnation by loyal chieftains who laboured with Audu on the field. On poll day, Bello’s priority was not to deliver his polling booth, ward and local government to the APC. But, venting his anger on the party over his inability to clinch the ticket, he worked for one of the smaller parties. It is ironical that a distraught politician who undermined the party during the poll that was pronounced inconclusive emerged as the flag bearer during the supplementary exercise.
Journeying to State
House without
engaging the electorate
Audu and Faleke had approached the people with their agenda. They came with an impeccable pedigree. Having conducted a survey on the needs of the people, they reeled out their manifestos for the development of the state. For the late Audu, it was an unfinished business. In the Third Republic, he had played a path-finding role as the first elected governor. That was why he was described by observers as the “architect of modern Kogi”. His running mate, Faleke, is a tested and trusted politician. Having served as a local government chairman, federal leg Amuda Dan Sulaiman
Good morning peepz….today has been destined to be cheerful for the commoners and the congregation of the ebira communality across the globe…the man of hope,competent,reasonable,favourable,beneficial,worthwhile,and decent we all believe in him His excellency Governor Alhaji yahaya bello popularly known as (fair plus)...He will be inaugurate today as the Governor of Kogi state as we are all aware by the special grace of Almighty Allah…I pray to Almighty Allah on behalf of all the ebira populace to bless our Governor and give him the strength and ability to rule the whole people of Kogi statewithout transcend.. Ameeen
Abdullahi Imam Adam
Attempt to Announce My Name As Deputy Governor During Bello’s Inauguration Mischievous -Faleke
The Deputy Governorship Candidate to Prince Abubakar Audu during the November 21,2015 Governorship election in Kogi State, Hon James Faleke has raised the alarm over attempts to mischievously announce his name as Deputy Governor during the swearing in ceremony of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi State.
According to Faleke in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Publicity, Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, Hon Duro Meseko, the plan was hatched for Bello to escape the obvious lacuna of not running the Supplementary election with a Deputy and also to give some form of legitimacy to the apparent unconstitutionality of the action.
“I want to bring to the attention of Nigerians plans to call me out to take oath of allegiance as Deputy Governor to Alhaji Yahaya Bello today in Lokoja since it is the Deputy that takes oath first. The mischievous script is to announce my name for oath taking at least three times after which they would declare that the Deputy Governor-elect has absconded but would be sworn in at a later date. They would now go ahead to swear in Bello as the the Governor“, he stated.
According to Faleke, ” let me make it very clear to the good people of Kogi State and Nigerians in general that I am not Deputy to Yahaya Bello and will therefore not be present today at his inauguration. I had made my position abundantly clear to my party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) and Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) that I will not serve as Deputy to Bello, neither would I participate in the December 5, 2015 Supplementary election. A strongly worded letter was written to the leadership of APC and INEC to back up my position. It is therefore the height of political mischief for anyone to attempt to call my name for oath taking at an inauguration ceremony they know I would not be present “.
Hon Faleke restated his faith in the judiciary to restore back the Governorship mandate which he said rightly belong to the Audu / Faleke team.
FALEKE TEAM KOGI STATE
APC PLANS TO USE ANOTHER FORM OF ILLEGALITY IN KOGI STATETODAY TO INAUGURATE YAHAYA BELLO AS THE GOVERNOR:“I want to bring to the attention of Nigerians plans to call me out to take oath of allegiance as Deputy Governor to Alhaji Yahaya Bello today in Lokoja since it is the Deputy that takes oath first. The mischievous script is to announce my name for oath taking at least three times after which they would declare that the Deputy Governor-elect has absconded but would be sworn in at a later date. They would now go ahead to swear in Bello as the the Governor. let me make it very clear to the good people of Kogi State and Nigerians in general that I am not Deputy to Yahaya Bello and will therefore not be present today at his inauguration. I had made my position abundantly clear to my party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) and Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) that I will not serve as Deputy to Bello, neither would I participate in the December 5, 2015 Supplementary election. A strongly worded letter was written to the leadership of APC and INEC to back up my position. It is therefore the height of political mischief for anyone to attempt to call my name for oath taking at an inauguration ceremony they know I would not be present “. – James Abiodun Faleke
Sunday Iwalaiye
I am yet again witnessing another unimaginable day in my life time. 1st, it was a an incredibly successful bloodless #change in Nigeria when the people’s General was sworn in 2 bcom PMB and now another history is to be made in Kogi state, my home state where the youngest Governor in Nigeria is to be inaugurated 2day.
This history is so important considering dat d previous Governors of d state b4 now has been so inhumane dat all they did was 2 under develop the state. They successfully made the state d most under develop in Nigeria. A majority tribe colonized the number one position for themselves while under developing d state, rendering d youths jobless & useless and enriching d pockets of selected few.
But thank the Merciful God, 2day our hope will be revived. He has given us reason 2 be hopeful again. Thank You ya Allah.
Ya Allah, please protect, guide and bless Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello. Give him the wisdom 2 lead us into a developed, self sustaining state, bless him 2 create jobs 4 us d youths and make us useful 2 our dear state. Ya Allah provide 4 him good and sincere people 2 help him lead us out of this bondage and under development. Allahuma Amin Ya Allah. Ya Allah, thank you 4 making me part of this incredible history. Who could ever thought a day will come like this and this soon? –
Abdulrasheed Bin Yaaqub
Kogi state to swear in Governor elect Yahaya Bello today. We re watching to see what will happen. Will James Faleke present himself as deputy to be swear in? If he will not, will a new person emerge the deputy to be swear in? If yes, is it stipulated in constitution? If no, will court nolify the election or declear Wada of PDP who is set to vacate the sit the winner of the election? Or fresh elections? This re what to be watched in Kogielection chaos.
Michealson Shaibu
Today, marks another milestone in the political history of Kogi State. It’s in deed a new day, a new dawn and the beginning of a new era. Today would ever be remembered in the political history of Kogi State, in that it marks a remarkable change in the batton of leadership, alternation of power from one party to the other and a generational shift in power from the old cargoes to such an energetic and agile youth with chequered experience in the art of administration and governance. Your Excellency sir, today you are ordained and would be installed as the the new Executive Governor of Kogi State charged with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of this State for the next four years. The task ahead of you is quite enormous but not insurmountable. You must strive to make a difference, a positive one for that matter. You are the Governor of all Kogites not just a section of Kogi State. The Igalas, Okun, Ebiras and other ethnic minorities have no other person to call their Governor apart from you. Thus, you must run an all inclusive government to better the lot of the common man. Ola ojile, Eku orire, Anyariresu oyiza. Wish you a happy and successful tenure. – yAYAHA jonson
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