Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, Usman Austin Okai, has faulted Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2023 governorship candidate Yakubu Murtala Ajaka for publicly apologizing to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, describing the move as a betrayal of electoral justice.
In a Facebook post on April 4, 2026, Okai said Ajaka’s gesture undermined the struggle of those who believed they were denied victory in the contentious 2023 Kogi gubernatorial election.
“You won an election, they stole it from you, and yet you are tendering an apology to the very person who took your mandate,” Okai wrote. “It is like catching a man having an affair with your wife, and instead of reacting, you go to the kitchen to prepare him tea and bread to give him the energy to hit harder.”
The criticism comes days after Ajaka issued a public apology to Bello, marking a dramatic shift in their previously hostile political relationship. Ajaka had fallen out with Bello ahead of the November 2023 election and had repeatedly accused the former governor’s administration of electoral malpractice and violence.
Ajaka said the apology was part of a broader effort to promote peace, unity, and development in Kogi State. He acknowledged that tensions during the election period had created deep divisions and argued that reconciliation was necessary for progress.
Reflecting on the turbulent 2023 election cycle, which was marred by violence and legal disputes, Ajaka also paid tribute to supporters who lost their lives, stating that their sacrifices should inspire a commitment to a more peaceful political environment.
Okai, however, insisted that such reconciliation without accountability sends the wrong message to voters and erodes confidence in the electoral process. He suggested that choosing submission over confrontation could weaken future struggles for electoral integrity in the state.
