Yahaya Bello lost his governorship and lost his influence in some circles. Then, out of the blue, he proved that he has not lost his political touch.
On May 18, 2026, the former Kogi governor secured the APC senatorial ticket for Kogi Central with 72,399 votes. His closest rival managed 319. The result would be unremarkable if not for one detail: Bello is standing trial.
For readers who may have forgotten, the EFCC filed a 19-count charge against him involving alleged mismanagement of over N80 billion, so he still has a trial to attend at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Yet here he is, the APC’s flagbearer for the 2027 Senate race.
The Nigerian Constitution Section 66 disqualifies a candidate only upon conviction; trial alone does not count. A man can stand before the EFCC in the morning, walk to the party secretariat in the afternoon and collect his nomination form.
Critics see this as a loophole to which lawyers respond that it is the letter of the law.
