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Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • Yahaya Bello Floors Rivals, Clinches APC Kogi Central Senate Ticket

    Former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election for Kogi Central after recording a landslide victory in the exercise held on Monday.

    The direct primary election was conducted across the five local government areas in the Kogi Central Senatorial District, with party members voting to determine the APC candidate for the 2027 general elections.

    Bello Defeats Rivals by Huge Margin

    Announcing the results in Okene, the Returning Officer, Dr. Sadiq Mohammed, described the primary as peaceful, orderly, and credible.

    According to the results announced, Yahaya Bello secured a total of 72,399 votes to defeat Ibrahim Adoke, who polled 319 votes, while Momoh Yusuf Obaro received 188 votes.

    The former governor reportedly swept all five local government areas in the district.

    Breakdown of Votes Across LGAs

    Bello polled 18,341 votes in Adavi Local Government Area, 10,298 votes in Ajaokuta, 5,146 votes in Ogori/Magongo, 8,943 votes in Okehi, and recorded his highest tally of 29,621 votes in Okene Local Government Area.

    The returning officer said the outcome reflected the confidence party members had in Bello’s leadership and political structure across the district.

    “The exercise was peaceful and the outcome demonstrated the commitment of the APC to internal democracy,” he stated.

    APC Candidate for 2027 Senate Race

    With the victory, Yahaya Bello has now secured the APC ticket for the Kogi Central senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections.

    The former governor is expected to face candidates from other political parties in what is already shaping into one of the closely watched senatorial contests in Kogi State.

  • Yahaya Bello Reportedly Denied APC Senate Screening Clearance Over Alleged Non-Appearance

    Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has reportedly been denied clearance to participate in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary screening in Kogi State after he allegedly failed to appear before the party’s screening panel.

    The development was contained in a list of screened APC senatorial aspirants reportedly issued from the Kogi State Secretariat of the ruling party.

    Conflicting Reports Over Clearance Status

    The latest development comes amid conflicting accounts, as earlier reports had indicated that Bello was among aspirants cleared by the APC screening committee for the Kogi Central senatorial race.

    That earlier list reportedly placed him among 17 aspirants approved for the party’s primaries scheduled for Monday.

    However, fresh claims suggest a reversal of that position following the screening exercise.

    Allegations Of Non-Appearance At Screening

    Party sources quoted in local reports alleged that the former governor did not appear before the screening panel, leading to his disqualification from the process.

    One source claimed Bello “didn’t participate in the screening exercise” and was therefore not cleared to proceed.

    Another source also alleged that his absence may be linked to concerns surrounding ongoing legal and corruption-related proceedings, although no official confirmation has been issued by the party.

    The APC is yet to release a formal clarification on the status of the former governor’s clearance.

    Senate Ambition Amid Legal Controversy

    Bello is seeking the APC ticket to contest for Kogi Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, where he is expected to face the incumbent senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    His political comeback bid has continued to attract attention due to ongoing corruption trials before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting him in separate cases involving allegations of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and diversion of public funds.

    He has, however, consistently denied all allegations and maintained his plea of not guilty.

    Uncertainty Still Surrounds APC List

    As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official confirmation from the APC National Secretariat regarding Bello’s final screening status, leaving room for uncertainty within the party’s Kogi structure.

  • APC Clears Yahaya Bello, Karimi For Kogi Senatorial Primaries

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly Screening Committee has cleared former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, and Kogi West senator, Sunday Karimi, for the party’s senatorial primaries scheduled for Monday.

    The committee approved 17 aspirants across Kogi State’s three senatorial districts ahead of the APC primary elections.

    Yahaya Bello Confirmed For Kogi Central Race

    Yahaya Bello, whose eligibility had sparked political speculation in recent days, was officially cleared after his name appeared on the list of approved aspirants for the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

    The former governor is expected to battle Momoh Yusuf Obaro and Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke for the APC ticket.

    The development has already stirred reactions within political circles in the state.

    Karimi Emerges Consensus Candidate

    In Kogi West, Sunday Karimi reportedly emerged as the consensus candidate after a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Governor Usman Ododo at the Government House in Lokoja.

    Although six other aspirants, including former senator Smart Adeyemi, were also cleared, observers believe the consensus arrangement may strengthen Karimi’s position ahead of the primary.

    Karimi is currently serving as senator representing Kogi West.

    Seven Cleared In Kogi East

    For Kogi East Senatorial District, seven aspirants were cleared by the screening committee.

    Those approved include incumbent senator Isah Echocho, Joseph Ameh and Murtala Ajaka.

    The APC primaries are expected to shape early political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

  • Yahaya Bello Secures N1bn Court Victory Over Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

    A Kogi State High Court has awarded N1 billion in damages to former governor Yahaya Bello in a defamation case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over remarks made during a television interview.

    Court rules interview defamatory

    Delivering judgment in the suit marked HCL/16/2023, Justice A. S. Ibrahim held that statements made by the senator during a November 4, 2022 appearance on Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” were defamatory.

    The court ruled that describing Bello as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts” was unjustified and damaging to his reputation.

    N1bn damages, injunction granted

    Based on the balance of probabilities, the court entered judgment in favour of Bello and awarded ₦1 billion as damages.

    It also issued a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan, her agents, or associates from making further defamatory statements against the former governor across media platforms.

    Legal battle and appeal history

    The suit followed Bello’s claim that the senator’s comments tarnished his image.

    Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team had challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the case was an abuse of court process.

    However, Bello’s counsel countered the claim, insisting the matter was properly filed. The Court of Appeal later dismissed the senator’s challenge and affirmed the High Court’s authority to hear the case.