Yahaya Bello in His Anonymous Cocoon …

Once upon a time, a man of power and ambition – Yahaya Bello – seemed to hover above it all, his name whispered in the corridors of Kogi State like a shadowy figure in a political thriller. He gave himself White Lion. Fast forward to today, and he’s gone conspicuously silent, almost as though he has perfected the art of vanishing. This quiet retreat comes at a curious time when his political “friend” Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is entangled in a storm of allegations and accusations and finding herself in the crosshairs of an unrelenting political warfare.

If ever there was a lesson in how swiftly power can vanish, it is embodied in Bello’s current disappearing act. Once all eyes were on him, with headlines filled with his controversies—corruption allegations, a history of violent rhetoric, and his very own COVID-19 denial saga—Bello was everywhere.

But today, as his legal entanglements with the EFCC rumble on, you could easily mistake him for a mere echo in the political arena.

Meanwhile, Natasha, the audacious Kogi Central senator, is carving out her own narrative, much to the dismay of her powerful adversaries. While her political foes – including those linked to the shadowy Bello -try to recall her, she’s fighting back with fierce defiance.

Just last week, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quashed their petition, sending her foes into a tizzy. “Nice try,” she might say, as her supporters turn up in droves to demonstrate their loyalty. A helicopter ride, roadblocks, and an impassioned speech later, Natasha has emerged victorious – at least for now – proving her popularity despite the political storm.

Yet, as Natasha rallies her base, Bello, once the man of the moment, remains silent in his self-imposed cocoon.

Politics can be a fickle game – one minute you’re at the top, the next, you’ve vanished. And with each passing day, it seems that Bello’s once indomitable presence is becoming more myth than reality.