Embattled lawmaker representing Kogi West at the Red Chamber, Smart Adeyemi, has accused his State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and the State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, of working against his return to the National Assembly.
Adeyemi lost his bid to retain his seat in the Senate to Sunday Karimi at the APC primary held on May 28, 2022, in Kabba.
Karimi scored 288 votes while Muyiwa Aina came second with 73 votes. Adeyemi polled 43, while the only woman in the race, Doyin Eshanumi, scored one vote.
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He described the election as day-light robbery and an extremely manipulated exercise.
The Kogi-born journalist cum politician made the disclosure during an interview with TVC, which was monitored by Quest Times.
When asked if it’s true that Governor Yahaya Bello worked against his re-election bid, Adeyemi answered; “In winning any primary election, the governor (Yahaya Bello in this stance) of a State is in control of 85% of the process.
“How do you explain when the returning officer of the election I participated was once somebody who aspired to be a senator for Kogi West and this is the same guy who is a serving commissioner and also the returning officer. So, from who will he take instruction?
“But it is now past tense, I have already filed my petition for it to be on record that this was what they did to me.
“I’m quite convinced that a number of Nigerians were surprised that I was not re-elected, which of course gives me satisfaction,” the lawmaker said.
According to him, he lost the election because of the powers that be, who felt that he was too outspoken for them.
Quest Times understands that the lawmaker in a meeting called by the state’s party chairman at the instance of the governor to pressure him to withdraw from the race was deadlocked, as he insisted on going ahead.
“The condition for my stepping aside was to take on a position, Chief of Staff, which was technocratic when my governor eventually emerges as President, and this did not align with my personal goals as a journalist and a crusader for the common man.
“I immediately informed Abdullahi, unambiguously, that my training as a journalist would not permit me to aspire to this role and, as such, there was the need to fine-tune things to accommodate everyone,” Adeyemi was quoted to have said by The Guardian.