A Canadian based Nigerian, Bashorun Olufemi Adegbulugbe, says the push for former Kogi state Governor, Yahays Bello as a replacement for Abdullahi Ganduje makes nonsense of government efforts at fighting corruption.
Adegbulugbe who stated this in a statement made available to media houses, on Tuesday, alleged that the push for Bello was a way to undercut the chances of far more qualified leaders from the North Central region.
“To install as All Progressives Congress(APC) Chairman a man whose looting files reportedly “hit the ceiling” at the EFCC would be to spit on every anti-corruption gain made in the last year.
“The swift suspension of Dr. Betta Edu and the subsequent unraveling of a multi-billion naira scandal in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the bold investigation and prosecution of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, including asset recoveries and high-profile forfeitures—and the courage to call out wrongdoing even within the ruling party, are significant bold efforts by Government to address corruption and this must not be rubbished by Yahaya Bello through selective treatment.
“The name, Yahaya Adoza Bello has been a recurring decimal in our political space recently.
From arrest evasion to EFCC court appearance and attempt to become APC Chairman, there has been no short supply of entertainment from Bello.
“In the space of a single day in June of 2025, Nigeria witnessed a grim double bill that explains why our politics so often feels like a carousel of recycled scandal. First came Yahaya Bello—already facing ₦80 billion in money-laundering charges and another ₦110 billion under investigation, pleading with a Federal High Court for the return of his passport so he could fly to London for treatment of “potassium deficiency” and mild hypertension.
“Hours later, All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman Abdullahi Ganduje resigned, officially for health reasons but in reality under the weight of corruption probes, including a ticket-for-sale scandal in the FCT primaries that cost a human life.
“Before the country could breathe, a chorus of hirelings, data boys and girls, and political functionaries, mostly operating under the control of imposed surrogates began floating Yahaya Bello as a replacement for Ganduje. Their desperation is not just to redeem a politically damaged figure, but to deliberately undercut the chances of far more qualified leaders from the North Central region—men and women with clean records, proven leadership, and broad appeal—who could reposition the APC without scandal or backlash. To force Bello’s name into national consideration is not just political tone-deafness; it is sabotage. The Yahaya Bello case now represents a defining moment.
“Let us not forget: Yahaya Bello was not only rejected electorally in his base, but rejected resoundingly. In the last presidential election,despite being the sitting governor. APC lost four out of the five local government areas in his senatorial district. Okene, his hometown, was the sole exception. The rest went to the PDP, including the Senator representing the district, the Member of the House of Representatives, and even the House of Assembly seat. For a governor who controlled more political appointees and state resources in his district than any other, this rejection was telling. It exposes the myth of his influence. Except, of course, what some are mistaking for political capital is nothing but the residue of electoral fraud, coercion, and violence—propped up by courtroom victories secured more by legal technicalities than legitimacy. The above paragraph simply paints a picture of an expired politician.
“Worse still, while claiming to suffer from medical conditions severe enough to warrant treatment abroad, Bello has been bouncing across political events, staging hurried, premature, and frankly embarrassing decamping ceremonies. These rallies, sparsely attended, riddled with rented crowds, and avoided by respected leaders are nothing more than desperate stunts aimed at currying presidential favor. In Isonlu, for instance, students were pulled from schools to pose as supporters. Not a single respected APC figure from Kogi West attended. If this is the strategy of a “loyalist,” then it is one that wounds more than it helps. It tarnishes Mr. President’s reputation, and it poisons the perception of the APC among serious Nigerians.
“This is the same Yahaya Bello who boasted of building the ₦6 billion Reference Hospital Okene to end medical tourism in Kogi. Yet for a basic case of potassium deficiency and hypertension, he shuns the very institution he commissioned. If the hospital works, let him use it. If it doesn’t, then let Nigerians understand what kind of legacy he truly left behind.
” I appeal to Justice Marianne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, to consider Yahaya Bello as a flight risk, taking into consideration his history of evasion of arrest and obstruction of Justice.
” I also appeal to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, to refer Yahaya Bello to the ₦6 billion Reference Hospital Okene, for needed treatment for potassium deficiency and mild hypertension. If a N6B hospital cannot treat mild hypertension and potassium deficiency, then we refer to the N6B hospital as a waste of public funds.
“This is a make-or-break moment for Nigeria, EFCC, the Judiciary and President Tinubu. Loyalty to the Republic must come before personal relationships or friendship.
APC and President Tinubu must not reward notoriety with promotion.
“Nigeria stands at a crossroads. We can either allow men with unresolved skeletons to climb the ladder of power unchecked, or we can draw a line and say: not this time. Not again. Let Yahaya Bello take his bananas and his medication at the N6B reference hospital he built. Let the judiciary uphold the dignity of justice. Let the APC demonstrate that it is not a sanctuary for recycling scandal, but a platform for credible, competent leadership”, Adegbulugbe stated.
