How Yahaya Bello, APC Kogi Chairman Worked Against Me – Senator Smart Adeyemi

Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi West) has accused the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and the State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of working against his return to the National Assembly.

Naija News reports that Senator Adeyemi had failed to grab the APC senatorial ticket after losing to Sunday Karimi.

Speaking to newsmen on the outcome of the APC senatorial primary, Senator Adeyemi described the election as day-light robbery and an extremely manipulated exercise.

He disclosed that the state’s APC chairman, Abdullahi Bello, had asked him not to contest but instead work for Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition.

The lawmaker disclosed that Yahaya Bello asked Abdullahi Bello to call for a closed door meeting to pressure him into withdrawing his senatorial ambition.

Adeyemi, who stated that he refused to back down, alleged that delegates were coerced to vote against their choices.

He said: “Normally, we give some supports to delegates to augment their expenses, transport, feeding and accommodations. But don’t ask me how much.

“Delegates from a particular local government, which is predominantly inhabited by Muslims, were not allowed to vote for me because the returning officer, who is from that local government and equally a Muslim asked, them to support Sunday Karimi, who is from a neighbouring federal constituency to mine.

“This local government is called Koton Karfe. A week after the election, five of them came to Abuja and they are all Muslims. They said to me that in Islam, it is haram (prohibited) to take what does not belong to you.

“So, senator, the money you gave for feeding, accommodation and transport to support us, we have returned all your money because we were not allowed to vote for you. But you are our candidate. They bust into tears, that they had been denied. But please, take our photographs for record purposes and future.

“This is your money. I look at them and said you have endeared Islam to my heart even though I’m a Christian. You returned the money? Please go with the money. I have blessed this money for you. They started crying and I assured them that next year, the five of you, I will send you to Makkah. If your faith in Islam is like this, then you have made me to respect Islam the more.”

“I have sponsored not less than 400 Muslims to Makkah. But for five Muslims to return the money I gave to them back to me and said it is haram, I was moved emotionally.

“I never new we still have Nigerians like these people. They returned money and said they were denied to vote for me. I took their pictures,” Daily Trust quoted him as saying.