Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has appealed to his predecessor, retired Capt. Idris Wada and Mr Abiodun Faleke, to bury the hatchet and team up to move the state forward.
In a reaction to the judgment of Court of Appeal that dismissed the cases instituted against his emergence as the governor of the state, Bello made the plea on Thursday in Lokoja in an interview with newsmen.
He called on Faleke to come forward with ideas and plans that could take the state to the promised land.
Bello described the court judgment as not only a victory for himself, but a victory for Faleke and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Our people have to move forward. There is bound to be disagreement in a family, the most important thing is for us to come together and resolve it,’’ Bello said.
He addressed newsmen shortly after the weekly state executive council meeting, pleading with his predecessor, Wada, to accept the judgment in good faith.
He admitted that Wada, as a former governor, did his best to develop the state and remained a father and a leader.
The governor thanked the leadership and members of APC and the people of the state for their support and prayers, promising that he would not disappoint them.
He also admitted that the state was confronted with so many challenges and assured the citizens that he would do his best to turn things around positively.
On the probability of the case dragging to the Supreme Court, Bello said: “victory is the hand of Allah. Allah doesn’t do things half way. He will complete his favour upon me at that level.’’
However, Wada said that the dissenting judgment from the court showed that there was hope for democracy in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the former governor, Mr Jacob Edi, Wada’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, said his boss had never for once lost hope in the nation’s judiciary.
“We have always have hope in the judiciary of this country; of particular note is the courage and statesmanship displayed by the judge that gave a dissenting judgment,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria has congratulated Bello on his victory at the Appeal Court.
A statement issued by its Chairman, Alhaji Taufiq Isa, described the judgment as a victory for democracy.( NAN)