Former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state is set to clash with his arch rival, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the 2027 Senatorial election in the state.
The former governor expressed his interest to clash with Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan who is currently representing Kogi Central in the Nigerian Senate, during his visit to the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.
Bello also used the occasion to intimate traditional and religious leaders of his intention to run for the senate in the District.
His declaration, close watchers of politics in the state said has confirmed his rumoured ambition to stage a comeback to politics after leaving office two years ago.
He will be contesting with a long time political rival, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan who once accused him and Nigerian Senate President of plotting to kill her.
While declaring his intention to run for Senator representing Kogi Central on Tuesday, the former governor said he bowed to his people pressure on him to represent them at the upper chamber if the National Assembly.
“I accept to run for the Senate in 2027,” Bello said while addressing the gathering.
Meanwhile, some social media users are not taken his declaration for granted, urging him to clear his corruption case with the EFCC before proceeding with his senate ambition.
The former governor, the magazine reports, has been dragged to court by the anti graft agency for allegedly stealing over N80 billion during his eight -year tenure as the state helmsman.
Not a few insist that his corruption case with the EFCC will affect his chances against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is seen to be very popular among the people of the state, particularly the Senatorial District where she widely believed to have performed, and respected by her constituents.
Recall that Akpoti-Uduaghan has in March this year accused the former governor of trying to kill her, saying the Senate President, God’s will Akpabio ordered him to do so.
The Senator made the allegation following her clash with Akpabio on the floor of the Senate over seating arrangements.
She was later suspended for six months, and has since returned to her position following the expiration of the suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had claimed that the alleged plot to kill her was arrived at after the plot to recall her from the Senate, with the governor of the state, Usman Dodo, in tow, failed to yield results. Governor Ododo is a close ally of Bello.
She alleged: “Let me say this now. On the 14th of March at 10:30 p.m.—mind you, two days before that, on the 12th—Akpabio spoke to Governor Ododo to recall me. But he told him it would be impossible because the masses are with her, the people are with her. But Akpabio was not satisfied.
“The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. And Akpabio told Yahaya Bello—I am standing on what I’ve said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here so it will seem as if it’s the people that killed me here,” she alle
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