THE joker of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to get the ticket of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to run for a second term in office has been exposed.
Bello is seeking a second term in office against the belief of a good number of the people of the state and other Nigerians that he has performed below expectation since he assumed office.
ReportersAtLarge gathered that the Governor was planning to woo the delegates, with good money, to his favour ahead of the party’s primary election August 29 Primary Election of the party.
A source who confided in ReportersAtLarge revealed that Governor had recently invited some of the executive members and stakeholders of the party in the state to the Government House in Lokoja to seek their supports and dished out good money to coerce them into doing his bidding on Thursday.
“Wards and LGAs executives who have met with Bello in Lokoja were given N200,000 and 350,000, respectively, as logistics. The primary agenda of the was to seek all delegates to the primary election to converge in Lokoja on Tuesday ahead of the primaries on Thursday. Another plan is also being perfected to confine and camp the unsuspecting delegates to a secluded area from that Tuesday, held them incommunicado, dressed them like prisoners in uniform attire and then convey them in coaster buses to a venue of the primaries after an oath-taking,” the source said.
The source, who noted that Governor Bello was out to do everything possible to run for a second term in office said: “the emergence of Governor Bello as the party flagbearer of the party would make it so easy for the opposition party in the state to win the election. The party leaders at the headquarters should be aware that these delegates are being coerced and intimidated into doing the Governor’s bidding against their wishes.
“Knowing that he has failed, Governor Bello has put in place plots to rig the coming primaries by every means possible such as substituting names of any erring delegates or intimidating or threatening them into doing his bidding.”
The source added that many of the delegates are said to have vowed never to be part of any arrangement of travelling to Lokoja on Tuesday for whatsoever purposes and that they would openly protest any attempt by the Governor to substitute their names as delegates.
