By Andrew Agbese
Former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello is a personification of what in legal parlance is refered to a ’cause celebre’ – a celebrated or controversial issue that attracts wide public interest.
Whether he intends it or not, most of his actions and utterances usually take on lives of their own and become topics of discussions for very long time.
Starting with the unusual process he became governor to how he held the position for eight good years and the histrionics his well, youthful exuberance adds to otherwise serious issues of governance always makes him a subject of public discourse.
When for example, former governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasir Elrufai went to Lokoja to campaign for Bello’s second term, went on his knees calling on the people of the state to forgive Bello who has been accused of not doing much in his first term and assuring them that he would do better if given another chance, Bello again that he is not one to clothed in any contrite garb.
He showed his proclivity to diminish any unfavourable situation by reducing the Elrufai plea to a strong campaign weapon by explaining that the then Kaduna state governor was only apologizing on his behalf for the people to forgive him for the the good works he has done in the state.
He is to cap such histrionics with the manner he was recently playing hide and seek with the EFCC until he decided to submit himself.
Even his release, GYB as he was fondly called, has not failed to grab attention with further curious actions.
Since his release, the former governor has been the beneficiary of copious number of receptions in his honour where instead of being upbraided for the many allegations against him, he is being celebrated as a hero.
This to many appears like a paradox as people cannot reconcile how someone who has been accused of stealing billions of naira of his states resources thereby depriving his people of certain benefits could be so openly celebrated.
Looking at the faces of the celebrants on each occasion, one cannot fail to notice genuine affectations and joy rather than the passive gestures of a hired crowd known in political gatherings.
There were images of women singing and chanting his name with emotions praying he as much as waves at them so they could go home with the joy that their hero has acknowledged their greetings.
Clearly, Bello is a hero at home.
Ask any man from Kogi Central and they will tell you, Yahaya Bello would forever be celebrated by his because of what they believe he has done for them.
You may assume that this refers to physical infrastructure he has built or the number of appointments he gave to his people during his tenure until it hits you that that is far from what he is being celebrated for.
Bello has become a hero in his natal region for what his people regard as his ability to liberate them from the status of second class citizens and earning them recognition and deserved honor and respect as a people.
And how did Bello achieve that?
By simply ensuring he completed an eight-year tenure as governor and handing over to another from his ethnic group to continue from where he stopped.
The calculation is that by the time the current Governor, Ododo wins a second term and is able to complete it, it would go into records that the Ebira, hitherto treated as a minority ethnic group hence not considered worthy to govern the state, would have done 16 good years in the saddle.
This is something, one is reminded, that cannot be erased no matter what anyone feels about it.
The import of this may be lost on many until you’re the one at the receiving end and a limit is placed on your efforts due to where you come from.
Many ethnic groups in several senatorial zones have fought for the same recognition to no avail.
From Borno South, to Gombe South, to Benue to Benue South and to some extent Kaduna South, the agitation has not been different.
With the ethnicisation of politics in Nigeria, it would never have been considered the turn of an Ebira or any from the listed zones be considered to run for governor so long as as there is one person from the dominant ethic group in the state that is yet to occupy the seat.
The explanation for Kogi had GYB not happened would have been that it is only fair to allow the position go to every family in Kogi East while those in Central or West should be content with being deputies as fate has perpetually confined them from governing the state.
What Yahaya Bello’s people now regard as liberation as well all know, came with the sudden death of Abubakar Audu on the eve of being declared winner of the governorship elections.
After some manoeuvres, it was settled that Bello who came second in the party primary, rather than James Faleke who was running mate to Audu, be given the ticket to finish the almost concluded race.
And so it was that by accident, Bello, who should not have gone beyond being a deputy governor as far as his state is concerned, became governor.
He was probably tolerated because it was thought that no matter the mistake, it would be corrected after his eight year tenure when he must willy nilly step down and perforce pass the baton to another zone.
But Bello had another plan. He knew the part fate played for him to get to that position and how difficult it was for him to secure a second term and must have concluded that once it slips away from his Senatorial zone, his people can forever kiss the seat goodbye as contained in the original plan which his accidental inauguration altered.
Probably guided by the logic that it would be easier for him to use his position as governor to prolong the tenure of Kogi Central as nothing can be guaranteed once he is out of office, Bello jettisoned all pleas for zoning and cleared the path for his brother to succeed him.
And as far as the Yahaya Bello people are concerned, the former governor has done what no other man could do for them by ensuring they govern the state possibly for 16 years.
All other allegations like embezzling public funds, lack of infrastructure, pales into insignificance because there’s hardly any governor that comes out squeaky clean from such allegations.
The kind of ethnic exclusion that makes a people overlook a fault as grievous as alleged financial impropriety that deprives them of so many benefits is unfortunately the in-thing in Nigerian politics.
Put in another way, people prefer the least capable once he or she is of their ethnic stock to one whose capabilities are not in doubt but who belongs to another ethnic group.
If prior to Bello, Kogi Central had produced a governor or stands the chance to produce one, Bello would not have had the temerity to impose his choice as he would have been resisted even by his people.
But in a clime where it is the colour of one’s ethnicity that determines the weight of crime or extent of capacity, those similarly affected cannot help but understand why Bello should be celebrated as a hero.
