Nigerians from various walks of life have condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for clearing former Delta State governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello to contest in the party’s senatorial primaries, which they both won. The development has sparked widespread outrage, given that both men are currently standing trial for corruption charges involving billions of naira.
Okowa’s Corruption Allegations
Okowa was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in November 2024 over allegations of diverting ₦1.3 trillion in public funds and misusing state resources to acquire properties and business investments. The probe includes a ₦1.3 trillion derivation fund, where he is accused of failing to account for massive sums of 13% oil derivation funds allocated to Delta State between 2015 and 2023. Additionally, he allegedly failed to account for ₦40 billion claimed to have been used to purchase an 8% equity stake in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas. Investigators also uncovered suspected diversion of state funds to acquire major real estate in Asaba and Abuja. After his arrest, Okowa defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, leading to public speculation that the probe might be dropped. The EFCC has maintained that the corruption probe remains active despite his defection.
Bello’s Corruption Cases
Yahaya Bello is facing two major corruption and money laundering trials. The first is a ₦80.2 billion case involving 19 counts before the Federal High Court in Abuja, regarding funds allegedly diverted from the Kogi State treasury to acquire luxury properties in Nigeria and Dubai. The second is a ₦110.4 billion case with 16 counts in the FCT High Court, bordering on criminal breach of trust and property fraud. The EFCC accuses Bello of extensive financial misconduct, including diverting state funds through multiple bureau-de-change operators and linked companies, and withdrawing hundreds of thousands of dollars directly from state coffers to pay his children’s school fees in advance. Bello has denied all allegations, claiming the charges are politically motivated. He has repeatedly evaded arrest and stalled his arraignment, leading to standoffs with the EFCC. Despite the ongoing trials, the APC cleared Bello to participate and win the party’s senatorial primary for Kogi Central, setting up a challenge to incumbent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Reactions from Nigerians
Professor Abdullah Abubakar, a political scientist, said: “The victories of Okowa and Bello are a testament to the long-held belief by many Nigerians that this administration is a hub of corruption. Imagine politicians standing trial for high-profile corruption cases being given a clean bill of health to run for a place at the National Assembly to represent the same people whose money they looted brazenly. Tinubu’s administration is a joke. This government will go down in history as the most tragically comic administration we have ever had.”
Biodun Agunbiade, a civil servant, said: “When I heard that Okowa had defeated the amiable Senator Nwoko, I knew Nigeria is finished. It’s like a nightmare. Can you imagine Okowa, who is under corruption trial, defeating Nwoko who had done well for his people? APC, as a party, at least with this development, is a comedy of error. Nigerians should reject them at the polls.”
Desmond Atake, an activist, said: “Nigeria under the current administration has lost its moral compass. Presently, Okowa, Bello, and others who have corruption cases hanging on their necks should be treated as political lepers and ought to have been ostracized from politics. Yet APC is rewarding them!”
Wilson Okonkwo, a data analyst, said: “The victory of Okowa is the best example of what we can call government giving official backing to corruption.”
Ahmed Walata, a political analyst, said: “Until corrupt politicians like Okowa, Bello, and others are given public execution to serve as a deterrent to others who have intentions of using public funds to enrich themselves, Nigeria will continue to move from bad to worse. In a country like China, if you are involved in corrupt malpractices, you are executed. In Japan, you commit suicide. In Europe and America, you are jailed. Why then in Africa, especially in Nigeria, you are allowed to continue to participate in politics and hold public office, walk around freely in society, dictate the tones, and withhold your loot? The anti-graft agency of Nigeria should tell Nigerians why Okowa is allowed to have the freedom to the extent of having the impunity to contest the recent Delta North Senatorial Primary, while Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, who is facing the same charges, is still held by the anti-graft agency. Why has the anti-graft agency, having concluded investigations on Okowa, refused to charge him to court?”
