By Clifford Ndujihe

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has assured the people of the state, and Nigerians that the November 11 governorship election would be the most peaceful ever held in the state. 

The governor also said that he has no blood relationship with the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Usman Ododo, contrary to the allegations of the opposition, noting that Ododo emerged based on merit, through a keenly contested, free and fair primary. 

Bello spoke at the 3rd Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents/Editors in Abuja. 

On allegations and counter-allegations regarding the destruction of campaign offices in the state, Bello said the APC candidate remained the most popular and loved and so would not engage in any act that might mar the poll. 

His words: “Ododo has endeared himself to the people of Kogi. How can you be the most popular candidate, positioned to win and still instigate violence?

“Ododo and I may come from the same place but we do not share any blood relationship whatsoever. Do your findings. He is a very compassionate, hardworking and competent fellow and those qualities spoke for him at the primaries.”  

Bello explained that part of his administration’s focus was to do away with ethnic sentiments that had set the state backwards since 1999 till his emergence. 

“Ethnic sentiments set Kogi back for 19 years and we must break away from that for competence. My administration has changed the narrative of ethnicity and has been appointing and working with competent people as against choosing people from tribes in the state. 

“We raise people from different backgrounds, irrespective of their senatorial zones,” he added. 

Earlier, the Kogi Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said no blood would be shed because of an election in Kogi. 

Fanwo said that security remained key to the state and therefore the government would not be distracted from the path of peace.