Blocking Natasha From Voting In 2023 Was Political Error By Ex-Governor Bello — Onoja

Former lawman politician of Kogi State, Chief Edward David Onoja, a.k.a. CEDO, has described the determination to forestall a PDP senatorial candidate, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from voting during the 2023 wide election, arsenic a governmental mistake by the past Governor Yahaya Bello administration.

Speaking connected MIC On Podcast published connected Saturday night, Onoja said the determination not lone backfired but besides boosted Natasha’s popularity and sympathy among Kogi Central voters.

LEADERSHIP recalls that connected the time fixed for the National Assembly elections successful 2023, Kogi State government-owned caterpillars were deployed to the location of the past PDP campaigner successful Kogi Central Natasha. The instrumentality was utilized to excavation trenches, thereby preventing her from accessing her polling booth.

Onoja, who was the lawman politician nether Bello, however, specified enactment was unstrategic.

“Yet again, you spell backmost to Kogi Central. People are successful complaint of that region. But that is not authorities to me; that is adjacent making her popular, much loved. Unfortunately, that is not a strategy that would work. Rather, it volition lone physique sympathy for the idiosyncratic you are doing it to, and the effect showed. That was unstrategic,” helium said.

Onoja, however, dismissed allegations of his engagement successful electoral unit that characterised Bello’s tenure, stressing that his governmental benignant was built connected persuasion and trust.

“We were not brutal, utilizing logic and convincing quality to archer radical wherefore they should spell your way. On Election Day, they volition spell your mode due to the fact that they judge and spot successful you. In Olamaboro, wherever I travel from, wherever I supervised, it was excellent, nary violence,” helium said.

Responding to wherefore helium did not counsel Bello against the antagonising Natasha then, Onoja said helium was unaware of it.

“If I was aware, I would not person sanctioned it,” helium explained.

On claims that the United States had flagged irregularities successful erstwhile Kogi elections, Onoja maintained his sanction was ne'er mentioned.

“My sanction is not there, my sanction tin ne'er beryllium there. My strategy was ‘hi and person radical to bring them connected committee to ballot for you.’ And then, erstwhile you permission that place, idiosyncratic else’s strategy volition beryllium ‘we person been mandated to get the numbers, and we volition lone get the numbers by this method.’ In my ain area, ne'er by that method,” helium said.

The erstwhile lawman politician insisted that persuasion, not coercion, defined his governmental approach, contrasting it with tactics employed elsewhere successful the state.