Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has firmly denied harbouring any presidential ambition for 2027, stating he would not contest against President Bola Tinubu in the next general election. This comes in reaction to a viral video falsely suggesting he has launched a fresh campaign.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday by his Media Director, Michael Ohiare, Bello described the viral footage — originally from a 2022 rally — as deliberate misinformation and the handiwork of political detractors.
“While we state categorically that our principal, Bello, has no 2027 presidential ambition, we also stress his unflinching commitment to the re-election of President Tinubu come 2027,” Ohiare said.
He labelled the video a “senseless post by a confused, witless mind,” pointing out that the date 2022 was clearly visible on banners in the footage. Despite this, the clip was reposted and circulated as a current campaign effort to mislead Nigerians.
“The fabricators forgot that the 2022 dates are boldly written on the banners on display. Yet, they expect reasonable people not to see this as the handiwork of detractors,” he added.
Old Tactics, New Spin
This isn’t the first time Yahaya Bello’s team has had to fend off coordinated online attacks. According to Ohiare, these tactics are part of a larger smear campaign against the ex-governor.
“They’ve tried so hard in their ‘bring-him-down-at-all-costs’ mission, but they have always failed woefully,” he said.
He dismissed the resurfaced rally footage as a desperate attempt to manufacture a crisis, noting that it was engineered to pit Bello against Tinubu ahead of the next election cycle.
“This latest slant of reposting a 2022 rally and pretending it’s happening now is nothing but calculated mischief,” the media director asserted.
🗳️ Standing with Tinubu
Despite being a former presidential hopeful in the lead-up to the 2023 elections, Bello is now positioning himself as a loyal supporter of President Tinubu’s administration, which he claims has “done exceedingly well” in the face of global economic and political turbulence.
“On merit, Tinubu deserves the support of well-meaning Nigerians,” the statement emphasized.
As 2027 political speculations gather steam, Yahaya Bello’s camp is making it clear: he’s not in the race, nor is he interested. The former governor has thrown his weight behind the renewal of Tinubu’s mandate, urging Nigerians to focus on facts and ignore what he calls the antics of paid mischief-makers.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates as the political landscape continues to unfold.
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