Kogi guber: Gov Bello, SDP candidate, Ajaka in tough battle

<p>The political tussle between the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka is taking a new twist as the electorates get prepared for the November 11 governorship election.</p>, <p>The election, which is less than 150 days away, is already generating tension.</p>, <p>DAILY POST reports that Governor Bello and Ajaka were once political allies.</p>, <p>One of the major critics of Governor Bello is the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Dino Melaye.</p>, <p>Since Senator Melaye fell out of romance with Governor Bello during his first tenure, he has seized every opportunity to criticise his administration.</p>, <p>Recall that the former Kogi lawmaker in one of his comments ‘prophesied’ that after Governor Bello’s tenure, he saw him (Bello) wearing prison uniform.</p>, <p>With the exception of Melaye, many opposing political players had before now kept mute on Bello’s administration.</p>, <p>But since the outcome of the 2023 APC governorship primary, it appears the pendulum has shifted from Melaye of the PDP to the governorship candidate of SDP, Ajaka, who happens to be a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.</p>, <p></p>, <p>Prior to the 2023 Presidential election, there has been a beautiful romance between Bello and Ajaka. Both politicians worked for Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emerge as former President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.</p>, <p>Some insiders in the ruling APC had claimed that before Tinubu emerged as the APC candidate during the party primary which was held in June 2022, Ajaka never supported Governor Bello’s presidential bid, but pitched his tent with Tinubu. In the said APC presidential primary, Governor Bello polled 47 votes.</p>, <p>Political analysts, after the primary, opined that the Kogi governor’s electoral outcome failed to mirror his public appeal and media spending in the weeks leading up to the ruling party primary.</p>, <p>Governor Be