The Movement for the Emancipation of Kogi State (MEKSTA) has called for the immediate resignation of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, accusing him of complicity in alleged large-scale corruption linked to the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a statement issued at the weekend, MEKSTA said Ododo’s eight-year tenure as Auditor-General for Local Governments during the Bello administration raised serious questions about his role in the alleged diversion of local government funds now under judicial scrutiny.
The group accused the governor of acting as a political proxy for his predecessor, alleging that Bello handpicked Ododo in the 2023 governorship election to shield himself from accountability over financial improprieties.
MEKSTA also raised concerns over the appointment of Ali Bello, son of the former governor, as Chief of Staff, describing it as a deliberate attempt to provide political protection to a key figure facing corruption charges. Ali Bello is currently standing trial over alleged financial crimes linked to transactions carried out during his father’s tenure.
The group’s call comes amid the ongoing trial of Yahaya Bello at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, where the former governor is facing a 19-count charge of money laundering amounting to ₦80.2 billion, brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the resumed hearing on January 29, 2026, a compliance officer with Access Bank, Olomotane Egoro, told the court that billions of naira traced to Kogi State local government councils were paid into accounts linked to Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Limited between May and December 2022. He testified that large sums were subsequently withdrawn in cash shortly after the funds were credited.
In a related case, Justice J.K. Omotosho recently ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to investigate allegations of evidence tampering in a ₦10 billion fraud matter.
EFCC investigators told the court that key WhatsApp messages allegedly implicating Governor Ododo had been deleted from a device tendered as evidence.
MEKSTA also criticised the Ododo administration’s performance, noting that the state has received over ₦600 billion in federation allocations and other revenues in less than two years, with little evidence of completed projects.
The group faulted the government’s plan to raise ₦50 billion through Sukuk bonds for an international airport and market, arguing that such projects are misplaced priorities in a state still lacking basic infrastructure and social services.
Calling on Ododo to “resign in the interest of justice,” MEKSTA said his continued stay in office undermines accountability and democratic governance in Kogi State.
MEKSTA Demands Ododo’s Resignation Over Alleged Bello-Era Corruption
