Few days ago, my Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, the White Lion, was a guest on Channels Television talking about sundry issues affecting the nation. He did a good job for himself and his party, APC. He also hinted that he will be throwing his hat into the ring by contesting the 2023 Nigeria’s presidential election.
My Governor also announced that ”All Nigerians” have been on his neck calling on him to contest the 2023 elections and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sooner had he finished speaking on the television programme that the official Twitter handle of Channels TV floated an online poll to gauge Nigerian’s views on the possibility of a Yahaya Bello presidency. Few hours after, thousands of Nigerians trooped online to express their opinion on the online poll scheduled to last two days. Within the early hours, about 91% of Nigerians who voted kicked against Bello, 3% were undecided while 6% voted ‘enmass’ for the youngest Governor in Nigeria.
His traducers rushed to the media screaming that 91% of Nigerians have rejected Buhari’s first son, Yahaya Bello. Notably, the Kogi born stormy petrel, Austin Okai, started celebrating Bello’s failed popularity test. They didn’t wait for ‘Okene Votes’ before celebrating their ‘victory’.
As scheduled, the poll ended the following day with Bello gaining 200% increase in acceptance. ‘Okene Votes’ performed wonders. Bello rose from a paltry 6% to a whooping 18% of total votes cast!
The 18% final votes shows that Bello is not local, but a National Governor and I congratulate him on this milestone achievement. He is gaining momentum.
As traditional Africans, we are all familiar with the tradition of inheritance and advantage of being a first born. First born s are nature heir to the their father’s kingdom and possessions. As President Buhari’s ‘first son’, Yahaya Bello remains the rightful heir to succeed his ‘father’.
For those doubting Bello’s statement that ‘All Nigerians’ are mounting pressure on him to join the presidential race, where were they when Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Ahmed Musa, Garba Lawal and other retired footballers endorsed my Governor as the best option for Nigeria? Where were they when great actors and actresses like Destiny Etiko, Odunade Adekole and others endorsed Bello? Youths and women groups from the north, west, east, south and even middle parts of Nigeria endorsed Yahaya? Bishops, Imams and other religious leaders have been trooping in to endorse my Governor. Who else, in Nigeria, have not visited to endorse Bello?
The coast is clear. Very clear. Bello is the leading presidential aspirant in Nigeria today.
As a Kogite, I say boldly that citizens of my state are in a hurry to donate Yahaya Bello to Nigeria. We can’t wait till January 2024 to experience change in Lugard House, so, if Nigerians can help take him to Aso Rock by May 2023 they would have saved us about 7months of unending patience.
From his first day in office, in 2016, Bello has been more of Abuja Governor with little interest in Kogi state. He is a visiting Governor who spends more time outside Kogi. When he is in Kogi, he calls our bluff but acts presidential when he returns to his base, Abuja. He pays our local government workers 20% of their salaries every month but when he sees other Nigerians he becomes a malfunctioning ATM. Check out his exploits in Ekiti, Ondo, Anambra, Edo and other states during APC campaigns, he was the party’s election engineer whose dexterity was applauded in the electoral victories recorded by the likes of Kayode Fayemi, Akeredolu and even Godwin Obaseki during his first outing. In all these states, Bello wrought victories for his party without fighter jets but when it was time for his own election in 2019, Kogi residents had to run for their lives as helicopters were hovering around ‘fumigating’ our land with bullets from the skies.
Kogites have been subjects to the worst form of governance since the creation of our beloved state. We mourn every time we remember that we have to endure Bello till January 2024. But today, we are grateful to ‘All Nigerians’ for finding Bello worthy to be the next president. This gives us hope that sooner than expected, we will be free from Bello.
– Adamu Ojonugwa writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.