Yahaya Bello Under Fire for Using Kogi Government Letterhead in Congratulatory Message to New Army Chief

Yahaya Bello Under Fire for Using Kogi Government Letterhead in Congratulatory Message to New Army Chief

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has come under intense criticism after posting — and later deleting — a congratulatory message to the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, written on the official Kogi State Government letterhead, despite no longer holding office.

The letter, which carried the Kogi State coat of arms and Bello’s signature identifying him as “Executive Governor,” sparked widespread outrage after circulating on social media.
Critics accused the former governor of clinging to power and blurring the lines between personal identity and state authority.

In the message, Bello congratulated the new Army Chief but included a line that drew particular scrutiny:

“It gives me renewed hope that my worthy successor, His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, will now have you in his corner as he continues to tackle insecurity in his domain.”

Observers described the statement as problematic, arguing that it implied the Chief of Army Staff could “belong” in a governor’s corner — a distortion of the military’s federal command structure and constitutional neutrality.

The civic accountability platform @Kogi_Xcommunity first drew attention to the issue. In a viral post, the group wrote:

“Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State, has deleted his personally signed letter to the new Chief of Army Staff after facing backlash from netizens.”

The controversy has since sparked debates about the ethical conduct of former public officials and the misuse of government symbols after they leave office.