Kogi Central Senatorial District was filled with excitement on Monday as residents gathered in large numbers to welcome the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and the current governor, Usman Ododo, who entered the district to celebrate the New Year with their people.
From early morning, at 8 am, people lined the roadsides in Okene, eagerly waiting for a glimpse of the former governor. Women, men, and children, all dressed in their finest, waved and sang local songs in honor of the returning leader after he met his bail conditions.
The arrival of the former governor from Lokoja to Okene, his hometown, was a much-anticipated event that took several hours due to the enthusiastic crowds that gathered along the way. Upon reaching the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Okene, Yahaya Bello was greeted by a large crowd of men, women, and children who had come to receive him.
Addressing the crowd in his native dialect at the palace, the former governor urged the people to pray for their leaders, so they may succeed in their duties to the state. He expressed confidence that the current administration under Governor Usman Ododo would bring further progress and development to all parts of the state.
Bello also called for unity among the various ethnic groups within the state, stressing that such unity would enable the Ododo administration to deliver the desired democratic benefits to the people. He encouraged his people to reject social vices and to pray earnestly for the success of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that the policies of the current federal government would propel the country forward.
In his remarks, the former governor emphasized the importance of collective support for the nation’s leadership to ensure that its ambitious plans and programs come to fruition.