When history records the story of Kogi State in the last decade, one line will stand out: it was a period of serious security tests. A central state that shares boundaries with 9 other states and the FCT, Kogi sits at the crossroads of Nigeria. What happens there echoes across the North Central, the North, and the South. In those years, Yahaya Bello was at the helm.
He inherited a state with pockets of kidnapping, communal clashes, and highway attacks. The approach was not politics as usual. It was boots-on-the-ground governance. Security meetings with traditional rulers became regular. Community vigilantes and hunters were formalized and given support to work with police and other agencies. Checkpoints were strengthened. Intelligence sharing between local leaders and state government was encouraged. The message was clear: security is everybody’s business.
That experience matters because the Senate is where laws that protect lives and property are made. A man who has sat in the emergency room of governance understands the difference between a press release and a real solution. He knows that a village 40km from the highway cannot wait for a response from Abuja. He knows that border communities need more than sympathy — they need legislation, funding, and institutions that work.
As Senator for Kogi Central, that first-hand knowledge becomes an asset. The Red Chamber needs voices that have actually managed crisis, not just debated it. Yahaya Bello’s tenure provides three lessons he can translate into law:
* Grassroots Security Architecture: As governor, he worked with traditional rulers, youth leaders, and local vigilantes as the first line of defense. In the Senate, he can sponsor and support bills that give legal backing and funding to community policing, while ensuring proper oversight and human rights safeguards. Laws that equip local structures without compromising national unity.
* Border State Security and Inter-state Cooperation: Kogi’s location means crime does not respect state lines. Kidnappers move across boundaries. Farmers and herders’ disputes spill over. He can champion legislation for better joint operations between states, improved funding for the Police and NSCDC, and special intervention funds for states that serve as national transit corridors.
* Welfare as Security: He often said an idle youth is a security risk. During his time, efforts were made in civil service reform, youth empowerment, and social investment to reduce vulnerability. At the Senate, this translates to bills and motions that link job creation, skills acquisition, and education to national security – ensuring that Kogi Central youths have alternatives beyond crime.
Beyond laws, representation is about access. The Senate controls oversight, appropriations, and confirmation of security appointees. A senator who has managed a security budget, who has received midnight calls about attacks, and who has buried victims, will ask different questions in committee rooms. He will push for equipment for our police, for better welfare for security personnel, and for federal presence in flashpoints.
The people of Kogi Central deserve a senator who does not need a briefing to understand their fears. They need someone who has lived the problem and is ready to legislate the solution.
Tested in crisis. Ready for legislation. That is the Yahaya Bello the Red Chamber needs – a leader who can turn experience into laws, and laws into safer communities and better lives for the people of Kogi Central.
SIGNED:
Dr. Abdulrahman Adabenege Saidu (DAAS),
Directoe General,
Ododo Political Vanguard (Home and Diaspora)
24th Aug. 2026
