Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has formally declared his candidacy for President in 2023.
On Saturday in Abuja, Bello officially declared his intention to run for President.
His announcement puts to rest speculation about his running for President in 2023.
The event was attended by some dignitaries including his deputy. Edward Onoja, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode , Jonathan Zwingina and Hafsat Abiola-Costello, the daughter of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late M.K.O. Abiola.
By his declaration, Mr Bello, who will be concluding his second term in office in 2024, has joined other prominent APC members who have indicated interest in flying the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election.
They include the National Leader of the party and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.
Others speculated to join the race soon are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; former Abia governor and serving senator, Orji Uzor Kalu; and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, whose posters adorn strategic places in some Nigerian cities.
Mr Bello, who is from the North-central geo-political zone will also have to contend with the zoning arrangement of his party.
The newly-elected National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu is from Nasarawa State also in the North-central zone.
It is believed that his party is leaning towards a southern candidate after the eight years of Mr Buhari, who is from Katsina State in the North-west geopolitical zone.
“20 million millionaires by 2030”
Mr Bello explained he was running for president because he saw a bright shining light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria.
“I am running for president because I see a bright light shining at the end of the tunnel for our nation. I am not one of those who only see doom and gloom. It is my intention to take custody of that light to pierce the dark spot in our past and present by eliminating every gap in our nationhood and fixing them.
“I will ensure that the light is handed over in due course to successors who will be trustworthy of our great future which the Federal Government led by me will build,” he said.
The Kogi governor said, if elected, he would run a broad political philosophy of progressive activism through social action and political reform.
He said, “I will be running on the broad political philosophy of progressive activism through social action and political reforms. We are so blessed as a nation but yet he does not always seem so. I am running to restore hope by providing security, unity, and progress to all Nigerians.
“Our focus will be proper management of our great diversity so that it can really be an advantage.”
On insecurity, Mr Bello said he would never tolerate non-state actors who take up arms against the nation.
“But I will be willing to listen to all sides and address all agitations fairly, especially those borne out of genuine imbalances in the treatment of citizens by the system. I will put a stop to the existential mistreatment of any people among us.”
Despite the killings in the country, Mr Bello also lauded the federal government for the investment in the security sector.
On how he would reduce poverty, Mr Bello said, “According to a BBC report of February 13, 2012 over 100 million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty during the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) era. In 2018, with APC in the saddle that figure has dropped to about 87m people yet Nigeria overtook India as the poverty capital of the world. Just this month, Nigeria through the effort of the president relinquished the title back to India and brought down the figure to about 70m people.
“It is therefore clear that our path to national prosperity lies in pulling millions of Nigeria out of poverty.
“The Buhari has a target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the year 2030. A Yahaya Bello administration or presidency will have an additional target of creating N20 million by the same year 2030 with the aim that each of them will empower five other citizens,” the governor said.
He explained that to achieve the 20 million millionaires pledge, he would set up the Igbo apprentice system and a “National BlockChain Taskforce (NBT) to develop a trailblazing policy for the nation in cryptos, the metaverse, NFTs and blockchain technology.”
On his administration in Kogi, the governor blamed “undisclosed enemies “for the bad press it is getting”. According to him, these enemies control the press.
He, therefore, challenged Nigerians to visit the state to see the unprecedented development there.
“It is well known that we offended powerful vested interests on our way to power in Kogi State.
“Moreover, since we took office we have committed the unpardonable political sin in Nigeria, that is, refusal to have godfathers and kowtow to them,” he said.
Speaking, Zwingina described the Presidential aspirant as a detribalized Nigerian, who governs Kogi with appointees from other states.
Stressing that Nigeria needs Bello as a President, Zwingina noted that the “governor uprooted insecurity from Kogi, the state would have been a breeding ground for kidnapping and banditry, but for his leadership skills.”