20th November, 2023
Reno Omokri, a socio-political activist, has backed the decision of the Kogi State Governor-elect, Usman Ododo to kneel before his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, shortly after collecting his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
INEC, on Monday declared Ododo winner of the off-cycle governorship election held in Kogi State on Saturday November 11, 2023.
Ododo defeated other candidates, including Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Certificate of Return was formally presented at the INEC headquarters in Lokoja, the state capital, on Friday by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Gabriel Longpet.
In a surprising move witnessed by many, Ododo, after receiving his certificate, approached Governor Bello and knelt to present it to him, eliciting amazement among onlookers.
However, this gesture has sparked diverse reactions on social media.
Reacting to the incident, Reno Omokri said there was no big deal in Ododo’s decision to kneel before Bello, adding that the governor-elect’s action showed he was well brought up.
Omokri pointed out that the late former President Musa Yar’Adua, his wife, and mother knelt before ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo following his victory at the presidential election.
Posting on X, Omokri wrote: “After Obasanjo almost single-handedly delivered Yar’adua as President, Yar’adua felt he was even too small to kneel to Obasanjo.
“He brought his own mother and his wife, and they knelt to Obasanjo publicly. No big deal in Ododo kneeling to Bello.
“It is a trait of a well-brought-up person. You give honour to whom it is due. If it is in Yoruba land, he will even prostrate flat. If you are walking by and a benevolent person breaks a palm kernel that you could not break by yourself, should you not be grateful?”
After Obasanjo almost single handedly delivered Yar'adua as President, Yar'adua felt he was even too small to kneel to Obasanjo. He brought his own mother and his wife, and they knelt to Obasanjo publicly. No big deal in Ododo kneeling to Bello. It is a trait of a well brought up… pic.twitter.com/6J1RrRnrV7
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) November 18, 2023