Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Wednesday declared his intention to contest for second term in office.
The governor made the disclosure to run for another term at the meeting of the state executive council.
According to him, another term in office would enable him consolidate on the good works he has started, saying he did well in the first term and he would not disappoint the people.
He described the state as an All Progressives Congress (APC) state going by the outcome of the last general election, and promised to improve on his past performance by making the welfare of people of the state a priority.
However, THISDAY reliably gathered that the governor disclosed to member of his cabinet that he is presently facing serious challenge on his second term.
Source close to the seat of power further stated that the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu; the National Chairman of the party, Adams Osihomole, and others are working against his second term ambition.
The source said all efforts by the governor to meet one-on-one with Tinubu on his ambition to contest for second term in office proved abortive as he was not given audience by the leader.
Also, all efforts made by members of the state assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Prince Matthew Kolawole, to see Tinubu on the ambition of the governor in Lagos also hit the rock.
Bello became the governor of Kogi State after the demised of Prince Abubakar Audu, the governorship candidate of the APC, who was already leading in the poll.The governor, who came second during the party’s governorship primary, was considered as a replacement for late Audu.
However, serious crisis later engulfed the party as some aggrieved members challenged the choice of Bello as replacement for Audu.
Chief James Faleke, who was the running mate of late Audu and members of the state executive of the party took the case to court to unseat the governor, but Bello finally won all the litigations in the court.
