Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State yesterday fired back at the Vice President of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Senator Joseph Waku, over his insinuations that the governor had hands in the alleged assassination attempt on Senator Dino Melaye.

Waku had alleged that Kogi State under Governor Yahaya Bello was “unsafe” and expressed concerns over the recent alleged attempt on Dino’s life.

But Bello, speaking through his Director General on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, described Waku as a “clownish alarmist” that should not be taken serious by Nigerians.

The governor said he won’t succumb to efforts targeted at distracting his administration from the “noble New Direction Agenda aimed at repositioning the state and recovering it from the ruins of the past”.

According to him, “Waku should not see Kogi as his fishing point in his efforts at being heard after decades of obliviousness and irrelevance. He should not misrepresent the highly respected Arewa Consultative Forum, an organisation that is committed to the development and unity of the Northern Region of Nigeria.

“His assertion that the North will hold the governor responsible if anything happens to Dino is reckless, unsustainable, uncharitable and indefensible. Waku should apologise to the people of Kogi State for his wanton allegations and also to the Arewa Consultative Forum for allowing his uninformed position embarrass the noble organisation,” the statement said.