Bello sworn-in as Kogi governor; PDP calls ceremony ‘comical’

All Progressives Congress (APC) substitute candidate in the recently-concluded Kogi State governorship election, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was Wednesday sworn-in as fourth executive governor of the state.
The oath of office was administered on him at exactly 12noon by the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja.
On hand at the inauguration was the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and some members of the National Executive Council of the party.
Others include representative of Senate President. Senator Kabiru Gaya, Governor Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa) and his Benue State counterpart. Samuel Orton.
Meanwhile, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as ‘comical’ the swearing-in of Bello as governor of Kogi state, just as the party said the state’s new chief executive was ‘a shadow chasing passerby.’
A statement by the PDP signed by the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, Wednesday, said: “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a comical event organized by the APC as the swearing in ceremony of one Yahaya Bello, a man who did not participate in the overall election, as Kogi state governor.
“The said Yahaya Bello, who cannot claim the overall winning votes in the election is therefore a shadow-chasing passerby on an excursion in Kogi state government house, as the so-called swearing-in ceremony, having no bearing from the votes at election is at best an APC function.
“The people of Kogi are aware that the man being paraded by the APC is not the person they exercised confidence in at the election as he scored a paltry 6885 vote in the so-called supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Alhaji Idris Wada in the overall election.
“However, as a law abiding party, we hereby urge our members and the people of Kogi state to remain calm and not despair over this slap on democracy as the courts would soon deliver justice with regard to the authentic governor with the mandate of the majority at the election.”