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Former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello has formally declared his intention to contest the Kogi Central senatorial seat, putting an end to months of speculation around his next political move.
Bello announced on Monday at the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Okene, following sustained pressure from local leaders and the sitting governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo. His declaration settles lingering uncertainty surrounding the former governor, who led Kogi State from 2016 to 2024 and is a prominent figure within the Ebira community.
Supporters at the event pointed to Bello’s record in infrastructure development and security as reasons he should be sent to the Senate.
His entry into the race, however, immediately raises the political temperature in Kogi Central, where incumbent senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan currently holds the seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party after winning a protracted legal battle in 2023. Akpoti-Uduaghan has previously described Bello as her “worst nightmare,” signalling the scale of the contest ahead.
Bello’s ambition is also unfolding against the backdrop of his ongoing money laundering case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which has been adjourned until November 2026. He continues to deny the allegations, but the case has split public opinion over his eligibility and the All Progressives Congress’s electoral prospects in the district.
As the dust settles on his declaration, Bello’s return to the ballot sets up one of Kogi’s most closely watched political battles in recent years, with sharp divisions already emerging across party lines and within the electorate.
