-Bashorun OAdegbulugbe
23 August 2025.
The tragedy of Yahaya Bello is not just his fall from grace but the arrogance with which he believed time and destiny could be cheated. In 2015, fate smiled on him when the sudden death of Prince Abubakar Audu, on the eve of victory, thrust him into the governorship of Kogi State. It was a rare chance to prove himself, to write his name in gold. But instead of embracing service, Bello embraced power like an intoxicant. He looted recklessly, bullied institutions, and carried himself with the swagger of a man convinced he would never have to give account.
That delusion reached its peak in 2022 when Bello, with all his baggage, mounted the stage at the APC presidential primaries. There he was;the “youngest governor” who promised to redefine leadership. Yet, of all the aspirants, Bello delivered the worst performance. He arrived with 63 delegates and could not even secure 50 of them. He limped out of Eagle Square with a mere 47 votes. For a man who bragged endlessly about his “political machinery,” it was a monumental disgrace. The loudest verdict came not from Nigerians but from his own backyard.
Still, Bello refused to prepare for life after power. He wanted to perpetuate himself in office, clinging to his successor’s coattails, interrupting his moments, and lurking behind him like a shadow that refuses to fade. Out of power, Bello has become a restless ghost ,staging embarrassing outbursts, dancing and jogging for cameras, convening clandestine meetings by night, and clinging to coalitions by day. He is a man undone by the trauma of exit, the depression of disgrace, and the weight of corruption cases too heavy to escape.
His desperation is now playing out in the courts. Recently, Bello sought leave to retrieve his seized passports so he could travel to the UK for “medical treatment.” This is the same man who once boasted of ending medical tourism by constructing a multi-billion naira “reference hospital” in Okene. If that hospital was truly what he claimed, why can it not treat something as ordinary as mild hypertension or potassium deficiency? Nigerians see through the hypocrisy.
The judiciary, to its credit, has refused to indulge him. His request for travel was denied, and the appellate court went further — reversing the earlier decision that temporarily freed his assets. Houses scattered across Nigeria and abroad, linked to years of reckless looting, remain sealed. The message was clear: Bello must remain within reach until the mountain of allegations is addressed. No more running. No more rewinding.
And yet, his own actions continue to betray him. In a recent video outburst, circulated by his own aides, Bello was seen directing a newly elected assembly member never to question the executive but to always do the bidding of Governor Usman Ododo — “whether good or bad for the masses.” He openly instructed the lawmaker not to represent his people as expected in a democracy but to kneel to the dictates of the governor. In the same recording, Bello bragged that he still carries his “whip”(his koboko),to discipline any assembly member who dares step out of line. These were not idle threats; he made grown men, husbands, and fathers including a former deputy speaker and a former House of Representatives member,he rained insults, particularly at the Igala-speaking section of the state. For what? These shameless characters are desperately seeking political tickets in the APC under his collapsed empire.
In another totally shameful display, during the burial of Governor Ododo’s father,a moment meant for solemnity and reflection,Bello could not restrain himself. Instead of showing respect to the grieving family, he hijacked the solemn occasion to talk politics and the 2027 elections. Such desperation at a burial speaks volumes of a man consumed by obsession with power, long after it has slipped away.
But perhaps the most damning evidence came from Bello’s own lips. In one clip, he admitted that Governor Ododo, in barely one and a half years, had outperformed his entire eight years in office. Imagine that;Bello himself confirming what critics have long declared: that his era was an abysmal failure. If Ododo’s only achievement, as even Bello acknowledged, was simply paying salaries,something every state in Nigeria is expected to do,then what does that say about the man who could not even meet that basic obligation consistently? No groundbreaking projects, no legacy infrastructure, no progress against insecurity. Just “salary payment” as an achievement. And yet, by his own confession, even that meagre performance outshone his eight wasted years.
What clearer testimony do Nigerians need? Yahaya Bello has, in his own words, confessed to failure.
Today, Yahaya Bello is ruined. The man who once strutted with arrogance now scrambles to rewrite history. But history is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten. Time is merciless. It cannot be rewound. The clock is ticking, and with each passing second, justice inches closer.
And so, we return to the question: what happens to a man who had destiny handed to him but squandered it in greed, arrogance, and impunity? The answer is Yahaya Bello. His story is a warning to the next generation of leaders,that power is temporary, that office is loaned, not owned, and that history has no patience for squandered opportunities.
Those who truly love him must tell him the truth: Yahaya Bello needs help. Not political coalitions or camera shows. Not sycophantic praise-singers or clandestine schemes. What he needs is therapy, reflection, and repentance. He must accept that his time is over. For a man who once had the rare chance to be remembered as a reformer, Bello will instead be remembered as the governor who turned destiny’s gift into a tale of shame.
When future Nigerians look back, they will not remember his dances, his boasts, or his excuses. They will remember only this: that Yahaya Bello, the man who tried to be faster than destiny, was finally overtaken by time.
We must also note that all empires, geographic or political, have an expiry date.
The political machinery (real, imagined or perceived) of Yahaya Bello will not be an exception!
