The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: yahaya bello

  • Appeal Court quashes Yahaya Bello’s contempt case against EFCC Chairman, awards N1m cost

    Appeal Court quashes Yahaya Bello’s contempt case against EFCC Chairman, awards N1m cost

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has quashed the contempt case initiated by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede.

    Bello had predicted the contempt case before a High Court of Kogi State sitting in Lokoja on interim orders earlier granted by the court, subsequent upon which the High Court ordered Olukoyede to show cause why he should not be held for contempt, a decision the EFCC boss appealed.

    In a judgment on Thursday, June 13, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal held among others that the contempt case was premised on dead interim orders issued by the Kogi State High Court, sitting in Lokoja.

    The Court of Appeal held that, as at the time Bello commenced the contempt case, the interim orders, on which the contempt case was built, had expired because the High Court had delivered its judgment on the substantive fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Bello.

    It noted that the interim orders, having been made pending the determination of the substantive suit and the substantive suit having been determined without the lifetime of the interim orders extended in the final judgment, the interim orders were extinct as of when the contempt case was initiated.

    In the lead judgment, Justice Joseph Oyewole held the trial judge failed to extend the interim orders of 9/2/2024 in its final judgment of 17/4/2024.

    The court awarded N1 million cost against the respondent (Bello).

    Nation 
  • Yahaya Bello reiterates support, commitment to Tinubu’s victory

    Yahaya Bello reiterates support, commitment to Tinubu’s victory

    The All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Working Committee has assured the party faithful that the Kogi State Governor and member of the party Presidential Campaign Council, Yahaya Bello, remained committed to the aspiration of the party presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Similarly, in a separate statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the director of publicity, the Kogi State APC campaign council assured the APC and supporters of Bello’s unalloyed commitment to the election of the party’s presidential candidate.

    A statement signed by Barrister Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, urged the party supporters to disregard a media report that the Kogi State Governor has tactically withdrawn support for Senator Tinubu “over imagined political permutations in the Kogi State Governorship election scheduled for November.”

    Morka maintained that “Governor Yahaya Bello who serves as the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, is a solid, resourceful and committed campaigner for our Party’s Candidate, leading a massively successful outreach to youth voters across the country.”

    He further alleged that the media report was “intended to float an imagined rift between Governor Yahaya Bello and Honourable James Faleke, Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, is the desperate and disgraceful conjecture of opposition elements unsettled by our Party’s giant campaign strides. Both loyal Party men are unquestionably committed and working tirelessly for the resounding victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in next month’s presidential election.”

    In his own statement, Fanwo said: “Governor Yahaya Bello’s steadfast commitment to the campaign is not in doubt among committed stakeholders of the APC at all levels. He is constantly on the drawing board, galvanizing Kogites and youths across Nigeria to massively support the man he calls the President-in-Waiting, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This will definitely not go down well with open and veiled detractors of our Presidential candidate, who would go to any length to paint a picture of crisis where there is absolutely none.”

    According to the information commissioner, Bello, apart from winning and sustaining the support of the majority of Nigerian youths for Tinubu, “has effectively mobilised Kogites to deliver not less than 95% Kogi votes to the Presidential Candidate of our party, the All Progressives Congress,” adding that “Bello, has always been the star boy of the party, having delivered on critical assignments in the state and at the national level and also recently, registering millions of youths, women and people living with disabilities into the party. He is proud of the Presidential Candidate of the party and has no doubt whatsoever in his capacity to take Nigeria to the desired level.

    “It is laughable, ludicrous and unthinkable to insinuate that the man working so hard to deliver massive votes for the Presidential Candidate of the party is the one naysayers would accuse of non-commitment. The Town Hall Meeting to bring the Presidential Candidate of the Party face-to-face with the Nigerian youths in the nation’s capital remains one of the boldest highlights of the Campaign to date. The Governor also remains the only known contestant in the Presidential primaries to have donated his campaign secretariat to our candidate, which is being used by the youth directorate of the campaign till today.

    “Governor Yahaya Bello will continue to work assiduously for the resounding success of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February polls to the dismay and disappointment of those who are desperately working to create a storm in a teacup for selfish reasons.

    “The governor who is the leader of the party in the State, the leader of the State Campaign Council and the National Youth Coordinator of the presidential campaign, will remain undaunted by the spurious lies and remain unwaveringly committed to the desire of Nigerians to have a Tinubu-Shettima pivot from May 29, 2023,” Fanwo said in the statement, reiterating the commitment of Kogi state governor to the campaign of his party’s presidential candidate.

    (Tribune)

  • ‘Govs using N19.3bn bailout controversy to stop Bello’s 2023 bid’

    ‘Govs using N19.3bn bailout controversy to stop Bello’s 2023 bid’

    Kogi Government has described as mischievous and politically motivated, a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that it has returned N19.3 billion bail-out funds allegedly hidden by the state to the Central Bank of Nigeria and accused some governors of masterminding the incident.

    The state government gave the EFCC 48 hours ultimatum to retract the statement posted on its Facebook Account on November 19 or be prepared for court action.

    During a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the controversy is politically motivated to discredit the governor because of his political bid towards the 2023 general election.

    “Some governors want to use the agency to discredit some perceived contenders ahead of the 2023 general election. We are aware that they tried to use the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit in the past, which failed and also they attempted to use the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and that attempt failed. They also tried to use the Code of Conduct Tribunal which also failed and finally, they settled with the EFCC.

    “These people have no interest of the people at heart and they are trying to discredit the Kogi government and Governor Yahaya Bello.

    “Let it be known that the Kogi State government refutes every bit of these false allegations being peddled by the EFCC. The Kogi State government had disbursed its bailout loans for the purpose of which it was granted as of October 2019. There is, therefore, no hidden bailout funds/loan belonging to Kogi State that is capable of being returned to the CBN or frozen by an order of court. The EFCC knows this, the fear of exposure of its lies in court and the attendant sanctions informed its decision to hurriedly withdraw the sham suit it filed in court.

    “Consequently, the Kogi State government demands a retraction of this press release and of all allegations of crimes levied against the Kogi State government and its governor. We further demand an apology published within 48 hours from today in one national daily and on all EFCC official and social media platforms addressed to Governor Bello and the government and people of Kogi State,” he said.

    (sunnewsonline.com)

  • Kogi State Governor Declares his Intention to contest and Succeed President Mohammed Buhari in 2023

    Yahaya Bello

     

     

    Weeks after his posters surfaced in some states of the country, Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, declared at the weekend that he would contest to succeed President Muhammad’s Buhari in 2023.

     

    The governor said his ambition is predicated on calls by Nigerian youths, women, the less-privileged, among others.

     

     

     

    Bello, at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, however, noted that he would not jump the gun, but wait for the “official time” to formally join the race.

     

    “I don’t refer to this as my presidential ambition. It is the ambition of the youths, the younger generation, the women, the less-privileged, the deprived and the oppressed in the society.

     

    “These are the people calling me to come and serve, to run and contest for president in 2023 and in order that I don’t run foul of the law, I am waiting for an appropriate time to officially give the nod to that call.

     

     

     

    “And, as a matter of fact, because I belong to that constituency, humble background, young, and I’m seeing exactly the less-privileged, the oppressed, the needy and quest for good governance in Nigeria, I don’t think when the time comes, I am going to turn the request down. I won’t turn it down; surely.”

     

    He equally dismissed calls by some high-ranking members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to respect the zoning arrangement with regards to the presidential ticket, between the North and South.

     

    “There’s no zoning arrangement in our party; none that is existent that I know. If we want unity, if we want togetherness, let’s jettison all that divides us.

     

    “I believe the younger generation has the antidote to fix the country because it’s only with the youths that there’s nothing like north or south or I am a Muslim or Christian.

     

    “The focus should be on what unites us. In Nigeria, today, I’m more concerned about the unity of Nigerian youths and the younger generation. I think we should tread carefully on that.

     

    “In 2015, nowhere was it zoned to the north; everybody contested, including Rochas Okorocha, who contested against Mr. President. In the People’s Democratic Party, same, and in other political parties.

     

    “In 2019, nobody was willing to come and challenge Mr. President. It wasn’t as if anybody was deprived (of the opportunity) and so in 2022 election, it should be for everybody, let everybody contest, let the best emerge, the best that Nigeria would be proud of tomorrow,” he said.

     

    On the issue of ‘flying kites on his presidential ambition’ before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially opened the gate, he jocularly retorted: “I don’t fly kites! I fly planes.”

     

    He reiterated that he “would continue to be a lone voice in insisting that there is no Coronavirus“ in his state; even if  it is deemed controversial.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Kogi State law makers solicit for Yahaya Bello, press APC for political action.

     

    Ahead of 2023 polls, Kogi State lawmakers paid a visit to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday, to lobby All Progressives Congress (APC) House members on behalf of Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

     

    The lawmakers said that it was time states in the North Central unite and work with the sole aim for the zone to produce the next president.

     

    The high-powered delegation led by the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, made the call when they paid an advocacy visit to the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ilorin.

     

    The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, said the agitation for power shift to North Central was a laudable move, recalling that the zone had yet to take shot as either President or Vice President since the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

     

    However, the Kogi Speaker told his host that the mobilisation drive for Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as next president was due to some attributes in him as well as his contributions to the development of Kogi State and the nation since his election as governor.

     

    Kolawole noted that Governor Bello had succeeded in addressing insecurity climate in the state, which was prevalent prior to his emergence.

     

    He urged other zones in the country to concede the presidential ticket of the APC to Kogi Governor, saying that the nation would be in safe hand if Governor Bello is given the opportunity.

     

    ‘We are here to notify you about the plan ahead as regard 2023 election. We are here on behalf of Governor Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. We want to thank him for the good relationship we have built together in the Kogi State House of Assembly. Apart from the synergy that we have, in the House of Assembly, we have passed into law between 67 and 70 bills since he assumed office as governor. He has assented to all the bills.

     

    ‘Before now, Kogi State used to be a den of kidnappers, armed robbery and social vices. And people cannot move freely. Since our governor assumed office, the first thing he did was to demystify the camps of all the kidnappers and demolish the houses of well-known criminals in the society. I can tell you categorically that my state is 80 per cent free from kidnapping and armed robbery. We equally saw our governor as being a youth governor, while many in his government today are absolutely youths.

     

    ‘So, by the time we put all this together, we looked at his capacity, ability, charisma leadership effectiveness and control, we in the House of Assembly of Kogi State passed a vote of confidence on our governor and at the same time, we went further to ask him to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

    ‘We didn’t just ask him to contest. We equally looked at the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Four had benefitted immensely in the leadership of this country in terms of President and Vice President. We realized that North Central and South-East were left out of this powerful political position (President). As a result of that, we asked our governor, maybe the youngest governor in Nigeria. Because of his effectiveness and leadership control and the role he has played in developing our party in Nigeria, we said our governor should contest for the President, which he has finally agreed to run for.

     

    ‘And we cannot do this alone in Kogi State. As a result of this, we decided to pay advocacy visits and talk to our colleagues, who will be delegates from different States in a future election. We are here to appeal to you to support our youthful and pragmatic governor, who has really contributed to the development of Kogi State and APC in Nigeria, to run for the office of President and for him to succeed. Above all, we are advocating from Kwara State House of Assembly to join Kogi State House of Assembly in this crusade of North Central to produce President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ the Kogi Speaker said.

     

    Speaking during the visit, Salihu assured that Kwara would support the movement for North Central to produce the next president.

     

    The Speaker, who led the Deputy Speaker, Raphael Olanrewaju Adetiba and other lawmakers to receive the visiting team, applauded Kogi lawmakers for taking a bold step with the resolution for Governor Bello to vie for the presidential ticket of the APC.

     

    He said: ‘In North Central, we have not seen the key actors of the country, which include President and Vice President [from] 1999 to date. And agitating for this is a plus to North Central. By God’s grace, as we start this journey, we pray that it should be a journey that favours the North Central Zone.

     

    ‘Kogi State has taken a bold step with your resolution asking an aspirant to go and contest for an election. And for the aspirant accepting your resolution, it is a plus, and it has shown the cordial relationship you have with the executive.

     

    ‘Honorable colleagues, I will say Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Governor of Kogi State) is in our youth constituency, though a senior brother. We have to give maximum support to the youth constituency. This move you are doing is a very big task. We will support the North Central move and put it in prayer for us to succeed. It is time for us to come together for the movement to be a success.’

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com