APC Greenlights Ex-Governor Yahaya Bello for Kogi Senate Despite N190 Billion EFCC Scrutiny

The National Assembly Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared 17 aspirants across Kogi State’s three senatorial districts ahead of the party’s primary election scheduled for Monday, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest involving political heavyweights, incumbents and loyalists of key power blocs in the state. Among those cleared is the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, whose eligibility had reportedly sparked internal speculation and quiet opposition within some sections of the party before his name appeared on the final list of approved aspirants for Kogi Central Senatorial District, where he was listed as number 13. Bello is currently facing two separate cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). One of the cases involves alleged money laundering amounting to N80.2 billion in a 19-count charge. The EFCC accused the former governor and others of criminal breach of trust and laundering funds allegedly diverted from the Kogi State treasury through multiple private accounts and luxury property acquisitions in Nigeria and Dubai. The matter is being heard before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The trial has featured testimonies from several high-profile witnesses, including bank officials, who reportedly spoke about structured cash deposits allegedly designed to evade financial reporting requirements. Bello is also facing a separate 16-count charge involving alleged fraud and breach of trust amounting to N110.4 billion. In the second case, the EFCC accused Bello and two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, of diverting public funds belonging to Kogi State. The trial is ongoing before Justice MaryAnne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. Bello has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases. In the APC primary, Bello is expected to face Momoh Yusuf Obaro and Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke in what observers describe as a contest between entrenched political structures and rival elite interests within Kogi Central. In Kogi West, sitting senator Sunday Karimi emerged from a stakeholders’ consensus meeting held at the Government House in Lokoja and chaired by Governor Usman Ododo. The arrangement effectively sidelines internal contestation, even though six other aspirants, including former senator Smart Adeyemi and Aro Bamidele, were also cleared by the screening committee. In Kogi East, seven aspirants were cleared, including incumbent Senator Isah Echocho, Joseph Ameh, and Murtala Ajaka, setting up another multi-faction contest in a district long defined by competing political blocs and shifting alliances. SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Bello reportedly boycotted the screening exercise organised by the APC for aspirants seeking the party’s senatorial ticket for Kogi Central, amid ongoing controversies surrounding his corruption trials in court. A source familiar with the exercise, as well as one of the senatorial aspirants, told SaharaReporters that the former governor did not appear before the APC screening panel, contrary to the requirement for all aspirants contesting for the ticket. Meanwhile, youths from Kogi Central Senatorial District expressed concern over Bello’s alleged absence from the mandatory screening process, warning the APC leadership against granting preferential treatment to any aspirant. In a statement, the group said Bello’s absence had triggered tension and raised questions among party members over compliance with the APC’s internal rules and screening guidelines. According to the youths, while other aspirants personally appeared before the panel, Bello was allegedly in Lagos during the exercise. The group warned that granting clearance to any aspirant who failed to appear before the screening committee could undermine the credibility of the party’s democratic process and erode trust among members. They insisted that the party must not allow waivers or special privileges for any individual, stressing that fairness, transparency and equal treatment of all aspirants were essential to sustaining confidence among APC supporters in Kogi Central. The youths therefore urged the APC national leadership and the screening committee to ensure strict adherence to the party’s established rules, insisting that justice and internal democracy must prevail in the selection process.