Former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, has disclosed that he was the Chief Strategist to former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Onoja disclosed that he was the Chief Strategist behind many planners for Yahaya Bello while in office.
He made the revelation while appearing on Mic On podcast with Seun Okinbaloye on Saturday.
Onoja dismissed the popular notion that he was the cabal that ruled behind Bello with an iron fist.
He said: “When you say nobody knew me, I will laugh at that, you know why? God knew me first and four years before then, I ran for a position in Kogi State.
“I ran for the State House of Assembly from my constituency in Olamaboro under the All Peoples Party led by our late Prince Abubakar Audu.
“So I was already in politics four years before 2015. By providence of nature, we got into the politics of 2015 and like you rightly said, I was the Chief Strategist and not the man behind the power or the throne, but I was the Chief Strategist.
“I was the planner, I was the Chief Strategist among many planners. We went into the primaries and did very great at the primaries of 2015, August 29th. Yahaya Bello came runner-up and we left it to God.
“Just on the eve of Prince Abubakar’s victory, nature happened and power was transferred to Yahaya Bello and he called me to serve with him.
“So, like you said, I recommended most of the people from my senatorial district, I was not interfering in Kogi West and Central because the governor came from Kogi Central and there were other stakeholders from Kogi West. So yes, from my senatorial district, let’s say 75 percent were my recommendations that were approved and eventually hired by Yahaya Bello.”
Kogi: I was Yahaya Bello’s chief strategist, not cabal — Ex-Deputy Gov Onoja
