₦airaland Forum

By Clifford Ndujihe

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is aspiring to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, next year, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this interview spoke on the problems of the country, how he would tackle them if elected, and his chances among others.


On his philosophy and why he is running for presidency

I will be running on a broad political philosophy of progressive activism through social action and political reforms.

We are so blessed as a nation and yet it does not always seem so. I am running to restore hope by providing firm guarantees of 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. We will foster more cooperation and integration among citizens and make sure that progress is made steadily across all sectors and indicators.

Building on Buhari’s achievements

Despite the dire challenges facing Nigeria today, no one can deny that President Muhammadu Buhari has given our country the greatest achievements in public works, government housing and social services since this Fourth Republic began. In addition, this administration has invested heavily in our national security. The war against insecurity may be taking longer than earlier expected but President Buhari has ensured that we have the combat resources to keep hitting our foes hard until victory is achieved.

It can also not be denied that under this APC government, Nigeria is pushing forward the most comprehensive proposals for restructuring since Independence. The sum of government policies, the Electoral Act and other statutes enacted and the ongoing amendment of our Constitution are fundamentally changing the way we do things.

For instance, the average Nigerian Governor has more powers today over matters of security, public transportation, taxation, fiscal federalism, mineral and agro resources, electricity, etc than at any other time in our history. These are the legacies of Mr. President. They will help the next president take longer and easier developmental strides, provided Nigerians make sure he is succeeded by one who is not out to discredit but to consolidate. I have proven time and time again that I am the only such successor in the APC’s line-up for 2023.

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 illuminate every gap in our nationhood and to fix them. I will ensure that this light is handed over in due course to successors who will be trustworthy stewards of the great future which a federal government led by me will build for our nation

On why he thinks he has the capacity to do the above

Kogi State is a microcosm of Nigeria and possesses the same diversities that, often mismanaged, have caused us so much trouble in Nigeria. However, I mobilised my people and together we are working through our differences. The brutal personality cults, tribal clashes, farmer/herdsmen conflicts and religious upheavals we inherited have ceased.

One of my most outstanding achievements as Governor, and one that I am very proud of indeed, is the dismantling of these age long dichotomies. Another is the elevation of inclusivity as a cardinal point in the compass of governance.

We have achieved the 35 affirmative action thresholds for women, and 54 Nigerians from every state and the FCT have been appointed into our government ranging from cabinet seats to clerical and administrative positions.

When we talk about inclusivity within the Nigerian context, our next leader must also recognize that it cannot be fully functional without Cooperation and Integration.

Nigerians must be able to live and contribute anywhere in this nation with the guarantee that they will not be called strangers there one day. To achieve this we must make sure that place of origin’ gives way for ‘place of domicile’ in determining who is a son or daughter of the soil. Our citizenship must no longer be diminished by indigeneship. This is the next level in what it means to be a Nigerian which I will actively champion as President.

If elected, I will ensure Nigerians of every extraction know what it means to be free of the principles of exclusion that currently demeans our very existence. All of us deserve to belong in our country without discrimination or marginalisation and to receive our full and valuable parts in the national scheme of affairs. I am Ebira and as a person who overcame the ‘minority syndrome with much difficulty to be where I am today, I want every Nigerian, especially the youth, to live in a country where no tribe or religion or gender is ever considered a minority again.

A Yahaya Bello presidency, like his governorship, will be tough on crime. Crime is crime and all crimes are inexcusable and I have demonstrated strong capacity to neutralize crimes and criminals in Kog State. Most Nigerians probably do not know this, but we went from being the state where violent crime was most endemic in 2015 to become one of the safest states in Nigeria from 2017 to date. Our crime rate has been one of the lowest in the country for years now. Terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes will not be tolerated when by the help of God I am Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief.

I will not tolerate non-state actors who take up arms against the nation whatever their grievances but I will be willing to listen to all sides and address all agitations fairly, especially those which are borne out of genuine imbalances in the treatment of citizens by the system. I will put a stop to existential mistreatment of any people among us, provided that agitators are willing to give peace a chance and threats of harm to the Nigerian Nation and People are not brought to the table as leverage.

On how he will create jobs and fight poverty

The Buhari administration has a target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030. I will have an additional target of creating at least 20 million naira millionaires by the same year 2030, with the aim that each of them will employ or otherwise empower at least five other citizens.

In this regard, we are going to learn a lot from the South-East. The apprenticeship model by which a boy, from an indigent or affluent background, is taken, trained and turned into a millionaire businessman in as little as 10 years is one we have to understudy and invest in. Harvard University already studies it and the Nigerian Government must do no less. I have personally observed that this model works on average 50 per cent of the time with a least five out of 10 boys who apprenticed with various Igbo friends of mine are millionaires today in their own rights. I also observed that it is not the line of business but the underlying principles and practices that work so well. This is because this amazing phenomenon is repeated sector after sector whether they deal in vehicle spare parts, electrical, pharmaceuticals, clothing or even foodstuffs, etc. This means it is a system that can be replicated. We will explore methods to do so.

On what he would tell his supporters if he is edged out of the race for the APC presidential ticket via consensus

I chaired the registration of youth and people living with disabilities in our party and till today I’m still the ambassador for youths and the younger generation in the party, and in the government. They believe in me and that was why we were able to mobilise over 41 million Nigerians into our party and we are still counting. I’m sure you saw what happened on April 2, when we declared publicly.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/2023-i-will-secure-nigeria-as-i-did-in-kogi-yahaya-bello/amp/

Yahaya Bello is a million times better than the cocaine dealing hoodlum, money laundering demon and gang leader.

I pity anyone that votes for a coward that sent soldiers to unleash their bullets on peaceful protesters and to flee to France afterwards.

Holy Ghost fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and scatter everything patapata and make civil servants eat from dustbin. God nor go gree u

Which part of Kogi are we talking about?

You will secure Nigeria with ₦3,000 monthly salaries to workers?

C'mon men

And I hear say na suffer head life people dey live for kogi

Bello is the best for the job

Realismailakabir:
Bello is the best for the job

Collect the money from Bello and chop it. It's your money

Buhari has done so bad in security that anything feels they can do better

Please how can I become a delegate in either PDP or APC primaries