Kogi: Gov Bello Downplays Violence In 2019 Poll, Says Bequeathing ‘Better State’ In 2024

The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has downplayed the widespread violence reported in the state during the 2019 governorship election.

According to Bello, the reports of violence during the last election were a creation of the media.

Speaking after casting his vote in Saturday’s governorship election in the state, Bello said he would bequeath a better Kogi to whoever succeeds him.

“I am bequeathing the state better than I met it,” Bello said, while urging the media to await the official announcement of the election results from INEC.

Recall that in a 2019 report by the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, the CSO alleged that the previous governorship election was marred by electoral violence sponsored by political parties.

But speaking with the press after voting at his polling unit in Okene Local Government Area, Bello said reported violence during the 2019 election should be disregarded because the Supreme Court dismissed all cases pertaining to that election.

“First of all, the issue of Electoral violence in Kogi State, in my own time, is a media creation or a creation of those that are not on ground in Kogi state.

“Go into history and record, and compare my own regime and that of the previous ones, you will discover that the regime of Yahaya Bello, in terms of conduct of elections, has been the most free, fair and credible and violent-free during elections.

“Violence is a media creation and figment of imagination of all those who do not want good things to happen in Kogi state,” Bello said.

Speaking further on the ongoing election process in his ward, the governor commended INEC for timeliness, saying materials were deployed within the time stipulated and that so far, he has not received any complaint from any quarter.

“The conduct of INEC so far has been fantastic. All the security agencies have conducted themselves, so far, very professionally. All the citizens that are exercising their franchise are doing so, freely. There are no hitches, ranchor. We are united and we are happy over this exercise and by the special grace, we are going to come up very triumphant in this particular exercise,” Bello said.

He added that the conduct of free and fair credible elections remains in the hands of both the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies and the citizens.