From: Emmanuel ADEYEMI, Lokoja

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, on sunday, said his double registration ordeal was politically-motivated by his detractors who are in a haste to chase him out of government House saying they are bound to fail in the long run.

Governor Bello who expressed surprise that INEC allowed itself to be used by contradicting itself in the saga described “INEC’s findings as politically motivated laced with falsehood and loads of incoherence”.
INEC on thursday dismissed two of its staff and forcefully retired another for aiding the double registration and said the immunity clause was hindering it from prosecuting the governor.

The governor spoke through his media aide, Kingsley Fanwo, in a press statement. He maintained that he  was prepared to prove his innocence and clear his name at the appropriate time.

His words: “We have not said anything about the allegation because we have to allow our legal team take it up and expose the incoherence and falsehood surrounding the politically orchestrated allegation.

“The Governor will soon come out to lay the truth on the table. Impregnable facts will dwarf the current campaign of calumny against the person of Governor Yahaya Bello”

The statement said the electoral body was merely telling lies and playing double standard saying the same body had told the world few months ago that there was no evidence of double registration against the governor and wondered why it was saying another thing now.

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“INEC had told the world they had no evidence of double registration against the governor. They also gave dates during which the purported double registration took place. They may have to be confronted with their own words”. the statement added

Daily Sun however recalled that Fanwo may have succeeded in contradicting his earlier statement immediately after the debate over the double registration raged when he acknowledged his boss registered twice, but indicated it was not illegal.

In that statement he argued that the governor had to register again in Kogi, because INEC refused to transfer his voter’s card from Abuja to Kogi.

“Nothing in the law makes it mandatory for you to vote for yourself before you can win a political position. We have had people who won elections from detention in the past. They wouldn’t have voted for themselves from detention.”

“Secondly, as the Governor of the state, Alh. Yahaya Bello is the chief mover of government policies. He must always lead by example. He needed to demonstrate that to the whole world to woo others to go and register. There was nothing wrong with registering in the Governor’s Office because it belongs to all Kogites. Government House is People’s House” he had said

Recall also that the governor while fielding questions from newsmen at the presidential villa said it was his ghost that participated in the double registration .

Meanwhile sunday statement added ,“Those calling for the Governor’s resignation over a mere allegation have further exposed their ignorance and desperation. They need to wait till 2019 to test their popularity among the people of Kogi State. Why are they sounding critical publicly while sending emissaries to plead with the Governor for the remedy of their dimming political hope ahead of 2019? Their hypocrisy will soon be a public knowledge,” it added.