Kogi Monarchs ‘Reintroduce’ Yahaya Bello To Buhari

Traditional rulers from Kogi State on Wednesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to support Governor Yahaya Bello in his second term aspiration.

The traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state stormed the Presidential Villa where they met the president to also canvass for the state to be given a substantive minister in the next cabinet.

The report of the monarchs’ visit to the president came amid reports in the social media that the traditional rulers had earlier planned last week planned to visit Buhari to solicit his support for Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman (retd) as a consensus candidate for the November 16 governorship election.

The reports, however, allege that the monarchs were compelled to make a u-turn after Governor Bello got to know and entreated them to change direction.

The Monarchs who visited Buhari on Wednesday were led by the Attah Igala, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Idakwo Oboni.

Following the visit, the spokesman of the monarchs,

 Briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the President, spokesman of Kogi traditional rulers, Solomon Dele Owoniyi, said:

“We had to reintroduce our governor to the president. Some people in the social media are already saying we are playing politics, we are not playing politics we are being realistic. When you are realistic you say things as there. 

“We came to reintroduce our governor to the president and demanded for normal support since they belong to the same party, the issue of endorsement is not here, the people at home have already endorsed His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for second term, so we don’t need to re-endorse him in Abuja here.”

Also speaking, Governor Bello explained that the delegation was led by Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Attah of Igala, His Majesty Dr. Oboni, adding that he was only a messanger that took the letter for courtesy call from the traditional rulers to the President. 

He said, “I did not lead my royal fathers here, the leader of the delegation is the Attah Igala, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni, the President Kogi state Council of Chiefs. I am just a messenger who took the message to Mr. President to secure this appointment and as their son I just needed to accompany them on this visit. 

However, a report alleging that the traditional rulers earlier resolved to adopt Usman has now emerged.

A traditional ruler from Kogi West who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that their original plan was hijacked by the governor. 

“We met, discussed, and agreed to present the erstwhile Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman because we deem him as the only aspirant with the experience and capability to rescue the State from its current precarious predicament.

“We have always been bullied and affronted by the present governor who has reduced us to insignificant chiefs before our people. He bullied and threatened us to change our choice and we had no option than to do his bid. To obey is better than to be deposed”, he said.

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