Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has come under intense criticism after posting and later deleting a congratulatory letter to the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shaibu, written on a letterhead with the official Kogi State Government logo.
The letter, bearing the state coat of arms and Bello’s signature as “Executive Governor”, sparked outrage online as critics accused him of clinging to power and blurring the line between personal identity and public office.
In the letter, Bello congratulated the new Army Chief and mentioned his successor, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, saying it gave him renewed hope that Ododo would now have the Army Chief in his corner as he tackles insecurity in the state.
Observers said the remark was problematic because it implied the Army Chief could “belong” in a governor’s “corner”, distorting the military’s federal command structure.
The civic-accountability platform @Kogi_Xcommunity flagged the issue, writing: “Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State big, has deleted his personally signed letter to the new Chief of Army Staff after facing backlash from netizens”.
