Whether admired or criticised, former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello remains an undeniable force in Kogi State and the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
Popularly known as the White Lion, Bello remains a prominent and often-discussed figure viewed as a strategist that has always journeyed through uncharted paths.
Right from his assumption of office, through what many people have described as divine means, he carved a niche for himself in modern day Kogi politics, especially when he held the office of the governor.
Many of those who were interviewed across the state also pointed at significant firsts in terms of achievements, which were recorded during the eight-year tenure of former Governor Bello.
The achievements, widely acknowledged across all critical sectors, including health, education, and infrastructure, among others, placed Kogi in Nigeria’s first 10 category, according to many polls.
Interestingly, the state, under Bello, won the World Bank’s Awards of Excellence in three categories – Fiscal Transparency and Accountability, Debt Sustainability and Domestic Revenue Mobilisation, in November 2022.
The World Bank had, in July 2021, also commended former Governor Bello for refunding $4.63 million surplus funds under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
This is why Bello’s supporters contend that, like any leader of substance, his trajectory from private citizen to governor and beyond continues to embody the values they argue his detractors have tried to bury without luck.
Analysts argue that the public praise showered on Bello by prominent Nigerians is no accident. They contend it is more than mere coincidence that the nation’s political and social elite—including President Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and influential voices like Reno Omokri—have, at different times, all spoken in his favour.
From fellow politicians like Idris Wada and Smart Adeyemi to other popular figures, the list of those validating his leadership continues to grow.
A Port Harcourt-based current affairs analyst, Ifeoma Ogbonna, observed: “It is good that Nigerians, especially Bello’s detractors, know that no man can curse whom God has blessed.
“I may not support him personally, but as the saying goes, one man’s food is another man’s poison. For every person who dislikes him, there is another willing to go to great lengths to defend him, especially his people of Kogi Central.
“That is the world we live in, and we must learn to adapt to some truth.”
Despite his humble beginnings in Okene, Kogi State, it was clear to those around the young Yahaya Bello that he possessed an innate gift for leadership, moving with the poise of someone capable of carrying great responsibility with ease and a smile.
“Bello was also known for his grounded, down-to-earth nature. From his early years in public primary and secondary schools to his time at university, his leadership traits—fortified by what many saw as a sense of divine favour—marked him as a man destined for success in any arena,” Abdullahi Musa, one of his kinsmen, who was his senior at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said.
“His rise to the position of the number one citizen of Kogi State, from 2016 to 2024, bore all the hallmarks of what many, both within and beyond the state, describe as the journey of a child of destiny,” he added.
In 2016, Bello made history as Nigeria’s youngest governor, propelled by a profound commitment to those he swore to serve. At just 41, he displayed the audacity to stand among Kogi’s most revered political titans, engaging as an equal with the seasoned legends of the state.
With the audacity of youth, the relatively unknown Bello surged to a second-place finish in the 2015 All Progressives Congress governorship primary, a feat that instantly put the state’s political establishment on notice.
A boxing enthusiast at heart, Bello walked away from that primary satisfied, his eyes already on a return to the political ring. While he remained open to other roles, he could not have foreseen that providence was about to thrust him into power in a way no one could have predicted.
The political landscape shifted overnight when Prince Abubakar Audu, who led the initial polls, passed away on November 22, 2015, as the results were being collated. In the wake of INEC’s declaration of an ‘inconclusive’ election, the APC turned to Bello—the runner-up in the primary—to step in as the substitute candidate for the high-stakes supplementary poll.
Bello secured a decisive victory in the supplementary election, and from the moment he took office, his impact was felt. Soon, residents across the Confluence State were pointing to his early strides in security, infrastructure, and education, alongside his landmark initiatives in agriculture, youth empowerment, and gender inclusion.
As Governor, Bello never shied away from his convictions. Supporters admired his blunt honesty, noting his refusal to embellish facts or follow a scripted narrative. Beyond the rhetoric, observers often highlight his resilience—pointing to a leader who stood his ground in the face of pressures that would have broken many others.
Political observers believe that these very traits – his grit and refusal to back down – though instrumental to his political career growth, has also earned many enemies for him.
This was cited against the background of his protracted legal battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since he left office in January 2024.
“Let me tell you this. In Kogi State, we know that our money is not lost and many of us have said this over and over again. With the ongoing proceedings, even his worst critics know that the case is politically motivated.
“Look at what he achieved during his time that no other government did before him, yet they were also getting allocations. Remember that during his time, states were not getting a quarter of what they get now. So where is the money that he allegedly stole?
“Nigerians stay on social media and don’t understand Kogi politics. No one can beat Yahaya Bello in Central. He is regarded as a “saviour” of sorts. People called him to contest. He didn’t come out by himself,” Musa Yahaya, a public affairs analyst from Kogi Central, said.
As the saying goes, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden—and Bello continues to radiate influence as a formidable force within the APC.
With the ruling party now laying the groundwork for the general elections, the ‘White Lion’ was named to the Finance Committee for the 2026 APC National Convention, a strategic move that underscores the unwavering trust reposed in him by the party’s top brass.
Even some of Bello’s critics admit that his appointment to such a high-level role suggests that his status as a tested leader remains intact; they find themselves acknowledging his expertise in driving the APC’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, despite the surrounding controversies.
While Bello balances this national assignment, an even greater challenge looms: his declared bid for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat in 2027.
It is a campaign that many stakeholders and political watchers already predict will see him sweep aside all challengers.
In a momentous visit to the Palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland last December, Bello formally accepted to vie for the 2027 Kogi Central Senatorial seat.
It was a decision, he noted, born from the persistent appeals of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and a broad coalition of local stakeholders.
A political analyst, Ifiok Akan Usanga, noted that Bello, despite his current legal hurdles, was poised to leverage his senatorial bid as a definitive return to the service of his people.
While Usanga anticipates a fierce challenge from the opposition, he remains confident that the former governor would ultimately secure the people’s mandate.
“Bello remains a man moulded for and committed to service, and despite the legal clouds hanging over him, he appears inherently cut out for the rigours of public life.
“His focus now is to use this Senate seat to return to the service of his people; supporters and critics alike should respect that choice.
“Bello can deliver for his people in the Senate. The opposition will put up a strong fight for the seat, but he will get his people’s mandate because Kogi Central will more than welcome him,” he said.