By

Umar Mustapha Madaki (Otumba)

When I consider the present legal and security situation the former Executive Governor of Kogi State is in, a number of negative scenes come to my mind: a man who was so full of hubris that he saw no need for order and decorum and had no respect for the authority of others so much so that he listened to no one and did only what appealed to him.

This is a man who was so caught up in the allure of power that he believed his own propaganda and sold himself on the shiny but fake jewelry of the permanence of power so much so that he was completely blindsided to the transience of office and the fleeting nature of power and, hence, had the guts to bully the people of Kogi State and even attempted to bully the whole nation with his highly dramatic but ridiculously infantile attempts to capture the Presidential Ticket of the All Progressives Congress during its Special National Convention in June of 2022.

A man who ruthlessly crushed all political dissent in Kogi State and openly squandered the resources of the state, never believing that anyone anywhere would ever have the guts to call him to account for his bullishness and shameless improprieties

A man who silenced any and every progressive voice that had the courage to speak up against his regime or draconian policies; a man who singlehandedly determines what happens in the state, and appoints and fires anyone in Kogi State as he deems fit; a man who does what he wants with the resources of Government without recourse to extant laws

A man who arm-twisted investors for personal gains, even investors whose impact are heavily felt nationally and internationally; a man who brags and flings his arrogance to push through his aspirations weather they appeal to logic or not.


As one of the worst performing state executives in the history of statecraft in Nigeria, it is a well-known fact that, with all his chest-thumping and self-serving braggadocio and grandiloquence, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello did nothing, in practical reality, to meet the developmental aspirations of the vibrant and progressive people of Kogi State, let alone lift up their living standards.

He acted with total disregard to common good and followed the path of vain glory and self-absorbed grandstanding that had no bearing on the growth and development of Kogi State. He was always picking needless fights and following narrow courses with dead ends. He was an ill wind that did no one any good.


But, and this is always the case with such selt-absorbed leaders, little did he know that times will change, and that power is transient, and since he is on the wrong side of the divide, the myriad of enemies he has accumulated along the way would, sooner or later, come for him. And now that the birds have returned home to roost and the deceptive veil of power is lifted, and the hand of accountability is knocking on his door, Yahaya Bello has shameless and cowardly taken to his heels and has become a fugitive of the law that he so despised and misused.


Worst of all, at some point we all thought his arrogance, even if it was not backed by truth and honesty, will in the least be that of a real lion. But, alas!, he has turned out to be a frightened meowing pussy cat faking the roar of a courageous lion, a shameless coward who has chosen to scram and hide than to face the anti-graft agencies to account for his infamous stewardship. I wonder what is going on in his brain right now, that he will forever evade investigation and accountability? Given the weight of accusations against him (with cases of financial impropriety amounting to almost a 100 billion Naira of stolen taxpayers money!), and the load of evidence against him at the disposal of the anti-graft agencies, for former Governor Yahaya Bello to think, even for a moment, that the puerile scheming around and the gangster-type tactics he is employing in his attempt to evade the law will keep him safe, is the joke of the century. Sooner or later, the law will catch up with him and he will be brought to book.


Imagine the national disgrace that has befallen this man who once held such an exalted public office, and even aspired to lead Nigeria, such a heterogeneous, yet highly intelligent and experienced society, as a its President. Can you imagine, even just for a moment, Yahaya Adoza Bello as the President of Nigeria, having access to the awesome power and resources available to such an office? That would be the day!
Anyway, imagination by the side, I believe that Former Governor Yahaya Bello is a very good example of HOW NOT to lead and behave as a governor or as one entrusted with any public office. Leaders should know that they are not Alphas and Omegas; that the world does not hinge on or revolve around them; that they do not know everything; that they are not above their subjects; that power is transient and, most importantly, they will one day account for their time in office, here on earth or in eternity. Having that at the back of their minds, leaders should act with humility and consideration, standing only for what is honest and true, following the path of the rule of law and due process, promoting transparency and accountability, working night and day for the good and growth of the people who elected them in the first place. That is how not to end up as a fugitive after your time in office is done and your immunity is lifted.

Umar Mustapha Madaki (Otumba)
Was Adamawa APC Governorship Aspirant and wrote this Opinion from Abuja, Nigeria

Ododo risks putting himself in the bad books of the EFCC and could be arrested when he leaves office or gets sacked by election tribunal