Former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has come under intense criticism after posting and later deleting a congratulatory letter to the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, written on the official Kogi State Government letterhead despite no longer being in office.
The letter, which bore the state coat of arms and Bello’s signature as “Executive Governor,” triggered widespread outrage after being shared on social media. Critics accused the former governor of clinging to power and blurring the boundary between personal identity and state authority.
In the letter, according to Guardian, Bello congratulated the new Army Chief but included a contentious line that quickly drew attention, “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 said the remark was problematic, as it suggested that the Chief of Army Staff could “belong” in a governor’s “corner,” a distortion of the military’s federal command structure.
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.
Despite no longer being in office, he continues to use the official Kogi State Governor’s letterhead bearing the state coat of arms — sparking concerns.”
The post immediately gained traction, with users accusing Bello of overstepping his bounds and refusing to detach himself from the trappings of power.
The backlash on X (formerly Twitter) was swift and unrelenting. @EmmanuelO_K: “Even after leaving office, Yahaya Bello still writes like a sitting governor. It’s embarrassing how some people just can’t let go of power.”
@KogiWatchdog: “Using state letterhead as a private citizen is a breach of protocol. It shows how Bello still sees Kogi as his property.”
@AyoolaWrites: “Leadership is not just about power — it’s about knowing when to let it go.”
Some supporters, however, argued that the letter might have been issued by aides who failed to update Bello’s stationery, calling it a “media oversight.”
Public affairs analyst Yusuf M.A. described the incident as “a case study in power hangover,” arguing that Bello’s choice of language and use of official insignia reveal “a deep-seated attachment to authority.”
“The Chief of Army Staff reports only to the President, not to any state governor,” he said. “To imply that a governor could ‘have’ the COAS in his corner is institutionally wrong and politically dangerous.”
He added that Bello’s description of Governor Ododo as “my worthy successor” further reinforced perceptions of a godfather complex.
“Bello speaks as if he still runs the state by proxy,” Yusuf said. “It’s an unspoken assertion of control and political ownership.”
Another political analyst, Dr. Ladi Olatunde, said the incident highlights the importance of optics in democratic leadership.
“Public trust thrives on perception,” she explained. “When a former governor uses official letterhead, it sends a message that the office and the individual are inseparable — which undermines institutional credibility.”
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Following the backlash, Bello quietly deleted the post from his verified accounts. But screenshots of the letter continued to circulate widely, fuelling debate over ethical conduct and political decorum.
Some commentators have called on authorities to clarify whether the use of state insignia by former officeholders constitutes an administrative infraction.
Others urged the Kogi State Government to issue a statement reinforcing official communication protocols.
“Deleting the post doesn’t erase the optics,” Yusuf M.A. noted. “If anything, it confirms that Bello recognised his misstep — after the damage was done.”
Timeline of the Controversy
On Friday, 24 October, Bello posted a congratulatory letter to COAS Waidi Shaibu, written on official Kogi Government letterhead. By Saturday, 25 October, civic group @Kogi_Xcommunity flagged the letter, sparking a wave of criticism across X.
Saturday night, screenshots of the letter trended nationwide; hashtags—#YahayaBello and #PowerHangover—appeared among top topics.
By Sunday morning, Bello deleted the post without explanation. Analysts and commentators continued to dissect the implications.
Key social media reactions included: “Former Governor or Shadow Governor?”, asked @TundeWrites; “Using state letterhead after tenure is impersonation, plain and simple,” said @Ada_Justice; “This is why Nigerians don’t trust political exits; they never really leave,” noted @NaijaPolTrack
For many Nigerians, the episode underscored a familiar theme in the country’s politics: the inability of some leaders to separate personal identity from public office.
“Statesmanship begins when the title ends,” Dr. Olatunde remarked. “But for Bello, the trappings of power seem harder to shed than the office itself.”
Though Bello’s letter was deleted, the controversy lingered, a symbolic reminder that in the digital age, every misstep in tone, form, or protocol becomes part of a leader’s legacy.
