Emerging victorious from a controversial election, Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has told those who want to challenge his re-election that they will meet in court.
He was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday by the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the presentation, he boasted that there was no doubt that he would have won the election.
He said: “I told you sometimes back that the issues of winning the election were not in question, but the margin with which I will defeat my opponent, and that he will have no reason whatsoever to go tribunal. However going to the tribunal is their right and if they so wish, we will meet in court. “
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Engr. Musa Wada, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Kogi election, has already rejected the outcome and has vowed to challenge it in court.
Bello, who affirmed that he won the election in a landslide, however appealed to his opponents to join hands with him in the interest of the state.
He said: “But I want to use this opportunity to call on all those that contested the elections with me starting from the primaries of our party to the main election, all other political parties, to please join me, we are all citizens of Kogi State, in this next level so that we can together do more for Kogi State.
“I inherited a state that was largely divided along ethnic lines but this particular election, I was able to put that behind us, that ethnicity is not the way, that it is a monster that has held the country down and that tore the states apart sometimes.
“By the special grace of God, today in Kogi State, ethnicity has been buried finally. Because, in this particular election, I won overwhelmingly in all three senatorial districts of Kogi State.
“We have a lot of task ahead of us, the journey has just begun, I need the cooperation and understanding of every citizen and resident of Kogi state to join hands with me so that we can do more for Kogi State.”
Governor Bello declined to take questions at the end of his address.
Speaking earlier, Oshiomhole said having won re-election, Bello was now qualified to be called “tested and trusted.”
The party boss added: “He has gone through elections and emerged victorious after the first term.
“I think that for analysts and keen observers for Nigeria’s politics particularly the geopolitical politics, you will agree that the victory of Yahaya Bello in Kogi State represents many things for those who truly believe that Nigeria politics should move away from sentiments, to dealing with people for who they are rather than where they come from.
“So, for us in the APC, we are very proud and we presented him to the president. The president was very proud.
He added: “And I am sure that governor Yahaya Bello having passed through the learning curve is going to approach the second term with all the vigour with eye for posterity and legacy marks in the development of Kogi state.
“We as party we appreciate the people of Kogi State for standing by the party and voting for Yahaya Bello and I want to assure them that like we said during the campaign, Governor Yahaya Bello will do everything possible to ensure that as they say to whom much is given much is expected, he will give his all to the people of Kogi State to reciprocate the goodwill and the confidence that has been reposed on him as result of the election that was conducted last Saturday, November 16.”
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