“Honestly speaking when a human being is talking then I will respond. surely I don’t see anything coming out of that and I don’t think I have to waste my time in responding to whatever side distraction. Honestly speaking, I am too focused to be distracted.”
These were the words of the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello when he spoke to news men shortly after he observed Jum’at (Friday) prayer along with other Muslims at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. He was asked to react to attacks on him by the Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye.
Yahaya Bello stressed: “Kogi State has suffered for over 25 years before I came on board and the good people of Kogi State are really appreciative of the efforts we are putting forward to make sure that Kogi State is well developed. So any side distraction is not something I should give attention.”
The governor dismissed the allegation linking him to double registration in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voters’ portal, describing it as frivolous.
“I traveled to Dubai for a brief break on May 19 and I saw the press release. I was taken aback when I heard the report that I did double registration on May 23.
“Probably it was my ghost that did the double registration. I think INEC has earned itself a very high reputation and I am very confident that the leadership of INEC will not allow some elements in INEC to drag the name of the Commission into the mud. Surely that’s a falsehood, I did not do double registration of permanent voters’ card.”
It would be recalled that INEC’s National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, had accused the governor of registering twice as a voter, saying that the governor first registered in Abuja in January, 2011 and later registered for the second time on May 23, 2017 at the Government House in Lokoja. [myad]
