Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi has said that with his ‘overwhelming’ victory in all three senatorial districts, the politics of ethnicity has been buried “finally” in the state. The governor, who said this yesterday after the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, presented him to President Muhammadu Buhari, appealed to his opponents to join hands with him in order to develop the state.

He said: “Just few hours ago, I received my certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Lokoja. That is the conclusion of the November 16th gubernatorial election that was held, that I won with landslide.

“I told you sometime back that the issue of winning the election was not in question but the margin with which I will defeat my opponent, and that he will have no reason whatsoever to go to tribunal. However, going to the tribunal is their right and if they so wish, we will meet in court. “But I want to use this opportunity to call on all those that contested the elections with me – starting from the primaries of our party to the main election – and all other political parties to please join me, we are all citizens of Kogi State, in the this next level so that we can together do more for Kogi State.

“I inherited a state that was largely divided along ethnic lines but in this particular election, I was able to put that behind us, that for us ethnicity is not the way, that it is a monster that has held the country down and which tore the states apart sometimes. “By the special grace of God, today in Kogi State, ethnicity has been buried finally. Because, in this particular election, I won overwhelmingly in all three senatorial districts of Kogi State. “We have a lot of tasks ahead of us, the journey has just begun.

I need the cooperation and understanding of every citizen and residents of Kogi State to join hands with me so that we can do more for Kogi State.” The APC National Chairman, Oshiomhole, said the victory of Governor Bello represented a departure from politics of sentiments.

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