What Does Yahaya Bello’s Post-Governorship Journey Teach You?
By Abdul Mohammed Lawal
The politics of Kogi State is best told by a Kogite who understands how quickly things evolve and refuses to let emotions cloud their judgment. This is a state that has continually retold its leadership story since fate rewrote its script in 2015. Each chapter has been met with varied reactions, defined by the solid foundation of the “New Direction” administration.
As a wise man once said, leadership is often defined by its challenges, especially when the leader is bold and disrupts the status quo in a place of diverse beliefs. But what happens when such a leader leaves office? What becomes of them after their time in the spotlight?
This is the story of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, whose life after governing Kogi State has been a mix of trials and a time for thoughts. His recent homecoming to Okene, his first major visit since leaving office, sparked widespread acceptance and celebration, challenging many of the negative narratives spun since his term ended. Even those who had been silent, unsure of his fate, have made Okene their temporary home in the last couple of days to reaffirm their loyalty.
After stepping down, Yahaya Bello faced significant challenges, chiefly a legal battle with the EFCC. For nearly a year, litigation and counter-litigation debated whether the agency should investigate him. These proceedings gave both admirers and critics ample room to speculate. Yet, in a defining move, Yahaya Bello voluntarily appeared before the EFCC on November 26, 2024, showing his readiness to address the allegations head-on.
During this ten-month period prior, Yahaya Bello lived a low-key life, focusing on his family and closest allies. His only notable public appearance in Okene during this time was to thank the people for their support after his tenure ended. From then on, he seemed to retreat, think about his career and charting his next steps. It was a period filled with unending drama, as one might anticipate in such circumstances.
This recent visit to Okene, however, was more than just a gesture of gratitude. It was a moment of reconnection with the people who had stood by him through thick and thin. The celebrations told of a people who value their own and cherish their leaders. For Yahaya Bello, it was a homecoming fit for a king.
Throughout this period, narratives about His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, were diverse and polarising. These stories ranged from praise for his achievements to criticism and speculation surrounding his legal battles. The bad and the ugly were told in equal measure, but little effort was made to tell the good.
Yet, amidst the noise, only a few dared to look beyond the surface and tell the real story; one rooted in truth rather than sentiment.
While many were quick to judge him based on preconceived notions, I sought to uncover the real story. For some of us, the choice to focus on the truth was not an easy one. I faced unending criticism, accusations of bias, and assumptions that telling his story was a paid job. But the truth is, Yahaya Bello doesn’t know me personally, and I am not a political tool for any politician in Kogi State. How can someone employ or align with someone they don’t even know?
My drive to highlight the facts prevailed over the pressure to conform to popular sentiment, even though it created new enemies for me. It was about narrating stories that even those who had grown under his mentorship and risen to leadership positions could not tell.
This was not an easy path. It was one thing to counter popular narratives; it was another to maintain objectivity in an environment where emotions often ruled. Yet, it was a necessary step to tell the aspects of his journey that many overlooked, providing a fuller, more balanced perspective of his life and leadership.
This experience was a beautiful one for me—one that reminded me of the value of telling the real story, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular. So, for those seeking updates about the events in Okene, please note that I neither work for Yahaya Bello nor the Kogi State government. I’m simply observing from a distance too.
To me, Yahaya Bello’s post-governorship journey is a mirror reflecting both the strengths and weaknesses of human perception. It challenges us to ask tough questions about how we judge leadership and form opinions. During his time away from the spotlight, many relied on emotions, half-truths, and popular sentiment to define his legacy. But what have we truly learned?
Did we pause to consider the man behind the headlines? Did we question why those who benefitted from his leadership, those he mentored into positions of power, remained silent when his story was being distorted? What does their silence tell us about loyalty, gratitude, and leadership?
For those who criticized based on emotions, did this phase of his life offer an opportunity for introspection? Were they able to separate fact from fiction and appreciate the complexities of his journey? Amongst your latest assumptions, did he remain in prison for months like you believed, or are you aware that he was granted bail while his trial continues? This is a moment to ask: What did you truly learn?
As I have always said, the stories of the good, the bad, and the ugly told about Bello are probably right because people experience others differently. But have your assumptions or those sold to you by others proven to be right?
This is my call for self-reflection if we are to keep making progress as a state. How often do we allow emotions to cloud our judgment? Do we take the time to seek the truth, or do we settle for convenient narratives that align with our biases? We should be challenged to move beyond emotional reasoning and embrace a more balanced approach to understanding how the Nigerian leadership space works.
The real question is: will we take these lessons to heart, or will we continue to let emotions dictate our view of the world?
I’m not putting out this particular piece to tell Yahaya Bello’s story, as I have done since his post-governorship journey started, but to ask questions that should now resonate in the minds of every Kogite. This is also to tell me thank you because it has been quite a job to undertake.
This journey should compel you to think about how you form your opinions, how you judge leaders, and what you learn from the narratives you choose to believe, but the choice is still yours. The question remains: What will you take away from his journey?