Amidst ₦190 billion EFCC trial, Yahaya Bello wins APC senatorial ticket

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District, despite facing ongoing corruption charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bello secured the party’s ticket on Monday after a landslide victory in the APC primary election, polling 72,349 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke, who received 315 votes. A third contender, Momoh Yusuf Obaro, polled 188 votes.

The results were announced by the returning officer, Sadiq Mohammed.

A breakdown of the votes shows that Bello recorded strong support across the five local government areas in the district. He scored 18,341 votes in Adavi, 10,298 in Ajaokuta, 5,146 in Ogori-Magongo, 8,943 in Okehi, and 29,621 in Okene.

With the victory, Bello is now set to contest for the Kogi Central Senate seat in the next general election.

His emergence comes as he remains embroiled in multiple fraud cases before the courts.

The EFCC is prosecuting Bello and two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, over a 16-count charge involving alleged property fraud amounting to ₦110 billion.

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In a separate case before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the former governor is also facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud and money laundering.

Combined, the allegations amount to approximately ₦190.2 billion.

Bello has denied all allegations, and the cases are still before the courts. Under Nigerian law, he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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