“He Promised Me Succession for Four Years, Then Changed His Mind” – Edward Onoja Opens Up on Yahaya Bello

Edward Onoja, former Deputy Governor to ex-Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, has revealed how his political dreams of succeeding his boss were dashed at the very last minute.

Speaking on the podcast MIC ON, Onoja disclosed that Bello personally assured him for four years that he would be his chosen successor. But on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries, the former governor shocked him by announcing his preference for Ahmed Usman Ododo, who eventually emerged as the party’s flagbearer and is now the sitting governor.

“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said: ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned, I worked,” Onoja recounted.

According to him, Bello encouraged about seven cabinet members, including himself, to pick APC nomination forms, presenting the contest as open. But in reality, Onoja said, Bello’s heart was firmly with Ododo.

“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him: ‘You are the boss, you are over me, what you see is what I see, so let’s go get the job done. But I hope you are not making a mistake.’”

Despite the disappointment, Onoja maintained that there was no fallout between him and his former boss. “There were no issues. We went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” he said.

Now serving as a board member of the South-East Development Commission, Onoja insists he has moved on from the episode and remains committed to the ruling APC.