Social media influencer, Reno Omokri has praised the embattled former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for handing over to incumbent Governor Usman Ododo.
In his interview on the ‘Mic On Podcast’ programme hosted by Channels Television’s journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, late Saturday. the former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan noted the significance of a governor “anointing” a loyal successor.
Omokri said. “There’s another aspect of it that people need to look at, that’s loyalty. If you are a Governor, no matter how well you perform; if you were involved in choosing, selecting or anointing your successor, and then you fall out with your successor, it says a lot about your person.
“Now, I admire Yahaya Bello, not for all of those things they’re accusing him of. No! In fact, if possible it can be proven, I’ll condemn it.
“But I admire Yahaya Bello for the fact that he’s been able to anoint a successor who has become his protector. Because in politics, if you have a successor who can’t become your protector, then that’s a disaster.”
“So when you have a governor who is able to sustain that loyalty in his successor, it’s an admirable quality.
“But I’ll say to Yahaya Bello, ‘Look, Yahaya Bello, enough is enough. Surrender yourself to the EFCC,” he added.
Following the financial crime allegation against the former governor, incumbent Governor Ododo has also been in the limelight as he was said to have been involved in Bello’s escape from his Abuja residence when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission came to arrest him (Bello).
Bello’s travails owe to a theft allegation to the tune of N84 billion from the coffers of the state.
Despite the EFCC having obtained an arrest warrant for the former governor, Bello was declared wanted and his security details including a female police officer who was his aide-de-camp, were all detained.
However, no fewer than 120 civil society organisations have condemned what they described as the EFCC’s anti-democratic approaches to issues of law enforcement against Bello.
They also condemned the unjust application of state power by the Federal Government.
In his position, Omokri stated that while he doesn’t support Bello’s “crimes” if accused, the EFCC has the right to arrest the former governor.
“If Yahaya Bello is accused of any crime, I don’t support him for criminal behaviour and I think that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are within their rights to want to invite him.
“And if they they have a warrant of arrest to even arrest him. They’re within their rights to do that,” the ex-presidential aide stated.
Omokri noted that Bello’s emergence as the state governor under the platform of the All Progressives Congress was because of his youthfulness following the death of late politician, Abubakar Audu, who died before the announcement of the election results.
He further said, “I don’t think that in Kogi State, he did the best job. I think that he could’ve done a much better job especially when he was chosen by General Muhammadu Buhari after the then-candidate of the All Progressives Congress died.
“He was chosen specifically because he’s a youth, and I don’t think that he represented the youths to the best of his ability. I don’t think that he’s the best role model”.
