Bello: I’ve No Political Ambition, But to Support Tinubu

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has declared that he had no other political ambition than to help President Bola Tinubu to succeed in office.

Speaking about his next move after office as governor in January 2024 and being one of the presidential aspirants during the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in June, 2022, the governor pointed out that all Nigerians would have succeeded, if President Tinubu succeeds. 

Bello, who spoke with newsmen yesterday, at the 3rd Annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political & Crime Correspondents/Editors in Abuja said he was all out now to ensure that Tinubu is a success story in the history of Nigerian politics.

He said: “I thank God for where He has taken me to. The only thing I’m doing now is to support President Tinubu to succeed.  If President Tinubu succeeds all Nigerians would have succeeded.”

While stressing that God has been kind to him, the governor said, “I thank God for my successes and achievements as governor of Kogi. I know where I met the state and I am happy for where I have taken the state to. 

“I believe that the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, will build on the solid foundation we have laid down for Kogi.” 

According to him, the November, 2023 Kogi state governorship election will be a landslide victory for the APC. 

Reacting to a question on ensuring that all members remain in the APC fold in the state, Bello said the APC remained solid in the Confluence state.

His words: “Our unity is why APC wins in Kogi and will continue to win. Our party is one. You cannot satisfy everyone. However, there are internal mechanisms in the APC to resolve issues and we always utilised that.” 

Earlier in a paper entitled: “Unity in Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Religious Society, the Kogi Story”, the  state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, said any candidate campaigning on the basis of ethnic sentiments, was incompetent. 

Fanwo said  the state would continue to prioritise merit and not ethnicity to enable it to continue to grow. 

Also in his paper on “Off Season Elections, Journalists as Responsible Watchdogs”, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Chris Isiguzo, tasked members on responsible and ethical journalism. 

Isiguzo said there was dire need for journalists to ensure transparency, check all facts and verify all information in their reportage. 

He noted that off season elections presented challenges and opportunities for journalists to fulfill their role as responsible watchdogs of society. 

“I encourage all of us to approach the job with a sense of duty, knowing that the quality of our reporting can influence the future of our nation,” he stated. 

Presenting a paper on “Debt Burden, Transparency and Accountability in Governance: Kogi’s Success Story”, the state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Idris, said the Yahaya Bello administration put in place deliberate policies to entrench good governance through accountability, transparency and reduction in the debt burden of the state. 

“Kogi has commenced preparation of the 32 years development plan, critical to the realisation of Gov. Bello’s vision of all round development of the state. 

“The development plan when completed will be a focal point for development partners’ interventions,” he added.