12/02/2026
The Southerner
OPEN EYES
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Kogi Central owes Yahaya Bello debt of gratitude
By Muhammed Jamiu Adoke
Political power, like water, tends to follow established channels carved by history, ethnicity, and numerical advantage. Yet occasionally, a force emerges with sufficient conviction to redirect the flow entirely, creating new pathways where none existed before.
The story of Yahaya Adoza Bello is the story of such a force, one that transformed not merely the distribution of power, but the very lives of those who had resigned themselves to perpetual marginalization.
His recent acceptance of the call to contest the Kogi Central Senatorial seat in 2027 is not merely another political development; it represents a profound moment of reckoning between a people and the leader who fundamentally altered their destiny.
For those who understand the historical context of power distribution in Kogi State and the transformative journey of the past decade, this declaration carries the weight of inevitability, a natural progression in a relationship forged through shared struggle and collective triumph.
The story of Kogi State politics before 2015 reads like a testament to entrenched political orthodoxy. For nearly a quarter-century since the state’s creation in 1991, gubernatorial power remained confined to a single ethnic bloc, justified by demographic mathematics and reinforced by political convention.
The Ebira people of Kogi Central, despite their rich cultural heritage and significant contributions to the state’s identity, found themselves perpetually on the periphery of executive power. This was not simply a matter of electoral defeat; it was an accepted political order that many believed immutable, a system where representation at the highest level remained an unfulfilled aspiration.
Into this landscape walked a young, relatively unknown businessman in 2015, dismissed by political veterans as inexperienced and unrealistic, yet possessed of an uncommon vision that would soon rewrite the state’s political narrative, thanks to providence.
What makes Yahaya Bello’s emergence significant extends far beyond breaking ethnic barriers or achieving electoral victory. His most enduring legacy, particularly in Kogi Central, lies in the restoration of something more fundamental than infrastructure or economic development; security and peace.
Before his administration, Ebiraland had become synonymous with fear. The dark valleys and caves around Okene harboured terrorists and criminal elements who operated with disturbing impunity. Clannish conflicts raged unabated for years, turning communities into battlegrounds and forcing productive citizens to abandon their ancestral homes for safer havens.
Traditional leadership selections were conducted under the shadow of violence, and the region hemorrhaged its human capital as professionals, traders, and families fled the perpetual insecurity. This was the reality that confronted Bello when he assumed office, a challenge that would have overwhelmed lesser leaders.
The transformation that followed represents perhaps the most compelling argument for Bello’s senatorial bid. Through decisive action, political will, and strategic collaboration with security agencies, the administration systematically dismantled criminal networks that had terrorized the region for decades.
Terrorist hideouts were identified and neutralized, armed robbery syndicates were broken, and the culture of violence that had defined social interactions was confronted and defeated. This was not superficial peacekeeping; it was comprehensive security restoration that addressed root causes and eliminated the structures that perpetuated violence.
The Kogi Central senatorial district of 2025 bears almost no resemblance to the Kogi central of 2014, and this transformation is not lost on the people who lived through both eras. When businesses return, markets flourish, and families reclaim their ancestral homes, the change is not abstract policy but lived experiences.
The spontaneous, organic nature of the call for former Governor Yahaya Bello to represent Kogi Central at the Senate speaks volumes about grassroots political mobilization. This was not orchestrated by political elites or manufactured through party machinery.
It emerged from communities, professional associations, traditional institutions, and diaspora groups who independently arrived at the same conclusion: the man who brought us from political obscurity and gave us peace deserves our mandate! The convergence of this collective will at the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland on December 29, 2025, was merely the formal crystallization of a movement that had been building across villages, towns, and cities.
When Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, himself a beneficiary of Bello’s political mentorship, presented this request to the traditional ruler and prevailed upon his predecessor to accept, he was articulating what had become an open secret across Kogi Central.
Understanding this moment requires acknowledging a fundamental truth about political representation in democracies; voters ultimately reward leaders who deliver tangible improvements to their quality of life.
In the case of Kogi State generally, the improvement is existential. The restoration of security enabled everything else, creating the foundation upon which economic revival, social cohesion, and cultural renewal could flourish.
The recent DAM Foundation Basketball Championship, organized by Dr Abdullahi Mustapha, which attracted international entertainers and turned Okene into a celebration venue, would have been unthinkable a decade earlier.
When global music stars publicly praise the hospitality, peace and security they experienced in Okene, they inadvertently validate the transformation that residents have witnessed firsthand.
This external confirmation reinforces what locals already know, Kogi central region has been fundamentally changed for the better.
In retrospect, this same Yahaya Bello is known for his countless humanitarian contributions and upliftmenet of the downtrodden. The story of Esther, the sugarcane hawker whose life was transformed through a chance encounter with Bello, illustrates a leadership approach rooted in compassion and practical problem-solving.
That he would stop his convoy, delay his schedule, and invest personal resources to reconcile a broken family and restore economic dignity to struggling individuals speaks to character traits that transcend political calculation.
Philosopher Thomas Aquinas’s argument that the wealthy have a moral obligation to the poor finds practical expression in such acts. When leadership combines policy effectiveness with personal compassion, it creates a bond with constituents that extends beyond transactional politics into the realm of genuine representation.
Going forward, I have no doubt that critics would point to ongoing legal challenges facing the former governor, but the principle of presumption of innocence remains a cornerstone of justice.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s own statement reaffirms this constitutional protection, emphasizing that only courts, not public opinion or media narratives, can determine guilt. This legal reality does not diminish the substantive achievements of Bello’s administration or negate the lived experiences of those whose lives were and continues to be transformed under his leadership.
For the people of Kogi Central, the choice is clear, we are selecting representation based on demonstrated capacity to deliver security, development, intra-governmental synergy, and effective governance.
This decision reflects an assessment of past performance and future potentials, rooted in the pragmatic calculation of who can best advocate for the region’s interests at the national level.
To this end, as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the Kogi Central senatorial contest will serve as a test case for whether transformative leadership translates into electoral success.
For Yahaya Bello, this represents not a political comeback but a continuation of service in a different capacity. For the Ebira people, it represents an opportunity to ensure that our voice in the National Assembly is carried by someone who understands our history, shares our struggles, someone who is less controversial, and has proven his commitment to the wellbeing of the people.
Therefore, the call for Yahaya Bello to represent Kogi Central is precisely based on a democratic principle in action; a principle that affirms the people’s sovereign right to choose representation based on documented achievement rather than gambled promises of political stability.
Whether this translates into electoral victory remains to be seen, but the legitimacy of the aspiration itself is beyond question. The voice of the people, they say, is the voice of God!
