Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has debunked media reports of an alleged domestic disagreement between him and the First Lady, Hajia Rashida Bello.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Onogu Muhammed in a statement on Monday described the reports alleging cracks in the Governor’s household as “concocted falsehood”.
The statement denied reports making the round that the First Lady had moved out of the government house, insisting that “Governor Yahaya Bello is in full control of his household, the same way he holds in firm grip the affairs of the state.”
The statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to an online publication with the rider ‘Trouble in Kogi State as the first lady, Rashida Bello, allegedly moves out of government house’.
“For lack of formidable tool of distractions, the online medium struggling hard for traffic has come out with a concocted falsehood alleging a crack in the household of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello.
“The said publication laced with lies and crooked fallacy detailed how the First Lady, Hajia Rashida Bello has moved out of the Government House in what the merchants of mischief painted as a revolt against the ADC to the governor.
“This reaction is coming out not in reverence of the amorphous medium but a call to the general public to disregard as tissue of lies the malicious fabrication – Governor Yahaya Bello is in full control of his household, the same way he holds in firm grip the affairs of the state.
“Rather than resorting to such satanic antics, this cowardly medium and their sponsors should have taken on the Governor on his development agenda instead of resorting to a devilish campaign of calumny aimed at staining the sparkling profile of the governor.
“We wish to reiterate unequivocally that there is no crack whatsoever in the home and government of His Excellency. The general public particularly citizens of Kogi state are enjoined to discard the purported information as mere piece of mischievous antics given life by idle, disgruntled and undesirable elements.
“The avalanche of aides working with the Governor are professionally trained individuals with proven records of discipline, diligence and focused dispositions.”
An online news platform and a national newspaper had reported on Monday that things have fallen apart between the Kogi Governor and his wife.
As reported in the national daily, “Those in the know, allegedly reported that the first couple of Lugard’s House have been at loggerheads in the past three months over the Governor’s affair with his ADC, Ifeoma Akaya
The report added that “The Governor allegedly placed his wife “The First Lady” on house arrest and sacked her orderly, including all her aides.”
The paper made reference to the fact that Governor Bello is the first governor in Nigeria to appoint a female ADC, Ms Ifeoma Akaya.
The development, it further said, might not have gone down well with the governor’s wife.
▪︎ Report by National Update
