Asks them to put aside sentiments of zoning, tribe, religion
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello on Sunday revealed that no fewer than 50 percent of the total number of delegates attending the presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress have assured him of their votes.
Bello is one of the leading presidential aspirants jostling to clinch the ticket of the party for the 2023 presidential election in the country.
The party’s convention is billed for Tuesday where delegates are expected to elect the flagbearer of the party.
Speaking on a live television programme monitored by our correspondent, Bello urged the delegates to put aside sentiments of zoning, tribe, religion or class of the would be candidate but should rather vote for him following his track records in Kogi State in terms of security, economy, infrastructure, workers’ welfare among others.
The presidential aspirant said more than 26 million Nigerians had publicly declared their readiness to vote him when he picks the party’s ticket, adding that he is the only aspirant that has a clear roadmap, competence and capability to tackle challenges battling the country.
He assured Nigerians that he would rescue them from political elites whom he said are kneeling on the necks of Nigerians and preventing them from breathing.
“Without mincing words, I am the aspirant to beat in the primary. I already have nothing less than 59 percent of delegates in the kitty waiting to vote for me,” he said.
On speculation that Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi exited from his campaign team, Bello said Fayemi is a friend and that he was never an official member of his campaign organization.
“He (Fayemi) is my friend and he has always been with me. He is a friend and he is still with me till tomorrow. He has not officially been in the campaign structure of Governor Yahaya Bello. Not everybody that was at my declaration that is on my campaign team. Friends, well wishers and Nigerians from across various backgrounds came together to give their support that day. On that day, even though, he didn’t come to the podium, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Wase was there. But is he in my campaign, no.”
While reacting to media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari specifically said the ticket should be zoned to the South, Bello said, “I don’t know why Mr. President made such statement and I want to tell you categorically that judging by the statement that came out from his spokesmen, Chief Femi Adesina and Alhaji Garba Sheu, I don’t think there is anywhere Mr. President made such a statement.
“It’s high time we de-emphasise on this issue of zoning. From day one, I have always cautioned. Here are victims of bomb blast or shooting in Ondo and in several parts of this country. Ondo is a state that is being controlled by the current governor of Ondo State, Chief Akeredolu. Mimiko handed over to him and there was no such issue in Ondo town or in Owo. He (Akeredolu) is from Owo particularly and such thing never happened, would those people be saying our person, our person?
“In the country today, we are faced with insecurity, what Nigeria wants is who will come and secure them. Out of this 26 million Nigerians who are ready to vote me into office, and the number is still increasing, it cuts across the country. Look at the last rally held across the country. This people know very well that I am a Muslim, they know very well that I am from Kogi State, they know I am Igbira man, they know I am from the North, and yet, by my performance, by my competence, by my desire, my innermost quest to serve this country, driving and firing us, they are all out there to support me. They are not talking of zoning, you see people from Akwa Ibom, Rivers, from Oyo and across the country, they didn’t ask where did I come from. So, thevNigerian younger generation is trying to de-emphasise that dichotomy, and we still have some leaders, I refer to them as regional or zonal leaders, who are still emphasising on this, then Nigeria and the delegates should better shine their eyes. It’s high time we moved pass all of this.
“For crying out loud, we have traveled across the globe, go to America today, you don’t care where Joe Biden comes from, if you go London, you don’t care where the Prime Minister comes from, if you go to Dubai today, I don’t think anyone knows where their supreme leader or their leaders there in Dubai come from and several other parts of the globe. Why are we always holding on to this? It’s high time our elites lifted their knees from the neck of this country and let Nigeria breathe. And I, by the special grace of God, will lift their knees off the neck of Nigerians so that Nigeria can breathe.
“I am out to win, I am out to fly the flag of APC, I am out to defeat PDP. I am out to be the president and Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and provide leadership, and provide security, and provide the unity, and bring progress and prosperity to Nigerians and that we have achieved and achieving in Kogi State.
“I have 100 percent confidence that I will get the ticket. I am the one that will be able to defeat Atiku Abubakar. Kogi was at 20 percent APC when I took over but now, we are about 100 percent. In all of the elections I have conducted, we have won almost all. I have gone across the country and today, the language and tempo out there is a younger generation. Changing the paradigm from the older generation to the younger generation. Our fathers and leaders have done quite tremendously well within their capacities, you can’t continue to flog the horse that cannot go beyond its capacity and think you can win the race.
“So, right now, it’s the time for the younger generation, and even as we speak right now, I am already grooming leaders within my state who will take over from me and I believe this would be in the mindset of our leaders, of our founding fathers and the rest as to who would be able to take over this baton, mentor more leaders after them and after us. I am the one that is going to bridge the gap between the old and the younger generation and provide the hope that eludes us almost 30 years behind.
“I am the only aspirant that came up with a clear roadmap as to what we are going to do in this country. I want APC delegates who are already coming in their numbers,while we welcome them, that they should put behind their minds, who is the person who will bridge the gap? Who is that person that is going to provide that security and he is doing it right now in his state? Who is that person who is going to build on the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari? Who is that person who will ensure that APC defeats PDP in the forthcoming election?
Put aside the sentiments of where you come from, the sentiments of religion, the sentiments of class difference,and that candidate is myself, Alhaji Yahaya Bello,” he declared.
