Three Reasons Yahaya Bello Is Desperately Running After Tinubu

Video of Yahaya Bello paying homage to Bola Tinubu during the recent visit of the governor of Kogi State to the All Progressives Congress, APC leader has leaked. In the video, Bello who until recently had not been known to associate with Tinubu was seen paying profuse loyalty to the APC leader calling him father and claiming to be a supporter of the APC leader’s political causes.

The meeting it was learnt, followed a meeting between the two men at the retreat organized for governors-elect. Tinubu chaired one of the sessions of the retreat devoted to good governance. It was at the retreat that Bello was said to have told Tinubu that he had been wanting to meet him and Tinubu gave him an appointment to meet him in his Abuja residence.

Governor Bello in the video specifically claimed that he was supportive of the aspiration of Tinubu’s man, Femi Gbajabiamila to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. Bello indeed claimed that he supported Gbajabiamila in his failed 2015 aspiration.

He said that members of the House of Representatives from Kogi State were pledged to support Gbajabiamila’s aspiration.

However, few political stakeholders are deceived by the governor’s gestures as it is being claimed as an act of desperation as the governor fights desperately for the second term ticket of the APC.

gwg.ng learnt that members of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party are peeved by the governor’s record in the first term and that the party’s chances could be endangered if Bello is fielded for the second term.

“If the PDP fields a good candidate we will lose the election with Bello as our candidate,” a prominent official of the APC told this news website.

“The governor knows that it is not just Oshiomhole, but also members of the NWC that are not happy with him,” it was further revealed.

The governor’s resort to Tinubu it was gathered had now become a matter of last resort given what is known as Tinubu’s influence over Oshiomhole.

Another reason the governor is said to be running after Tinubu a source said was because of the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari has suddenly gone cold towards him.

“The president has won his re-election and is now looking more closely at Yahaya Bello’s record and he does not seem to like it,” a Lokoja, Kogi State based journalist told our correspondent.

“The easy access he had seems to have been cut off and the governor is now fighting for new friends,” the source revealed.

Governor Bello’s desperation for Tinubu’s patronage could also be directed towards making up for the political combat between both men in 2015 when Bello backed by the presidency fought off the challenge by the APC’s point man, James Faleke to become the candidate of the APC in the runoff election that followed the death of the APC’s candidate in the main election, Abubakar Audu.

But burdened with the baggage of huge debts to civil servants ranging from five months to 38 months, Governor Bello has his job of winning the friendship of friends and former foes cut for him.

REASONS

• Bello needs Tinubu’s support to convince NWC for second term ticket
• Bello needs political patronage to cover for Buhari’s lukewarm support
• Bello desperate to make up for fight with Faleke/Tinubu in 2015

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