Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), praised the Governor on Friday Yahaya Bello of Kogi, for mobilizing the consciousness of young people during his campaign.
Mr. Tinubu had this to say when he visited Governor Bello in Abuja, just 72 hours after he emerged as APC’s standard-bearer ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu described Bello as his son, adding that the governor was reminded of “what the nation wants to be.”
Mr. Tinubu was accompanied on the visit by three governors: Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Beautiful Matawalle (Zamfara); and Abdullahi Gandu (Kano).
Former Edo Governor and APC National President Adams Oshiomhole was also present at the meeting.
The presidential candidate also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for providing a level playing field for all contestants during the special convention and the primary.
Tinubu said: “The man of the convention, the man of democracy on that day was Muhammadu Buhari.
“If you want to run, run; you want to crawl, crawl; you want to dance, dance
“Yahaya Bello is my son; you mobilized the conscience of the youth in the county. You remind us of what the nation wants to be.”
Mr. Tinubu described his victory as a very good step for APC stakeholders to work for a united country concerned with prosperity.
He also thanked all the members of the Yahaya Bello Campaign Organization and added: “Everyone left their mark, they were determined.”
The APC presidential standard bearer also thanked party leaders for ensuring the convention ended peacefully.
“The (opposition) thought there would be chaos and crisis. But we saw peace. Emily Lokan. It’s my turn,” she said.
Mr. Tinubu said that he was very proud of the Director General of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organization, Hafsat Abiola-Costello.
He noted that the peace and joy enjoyed in the country was due to his late father, “MKO Abiola, the reason why June 12 became a public holiday.”
He also revealed that it was at the home of Kudirat Abiola (Hafsat’s mother) that he found the cap with which he disguised himself and fled Nigeria.
“I am happy to be back to save Nigeria,” he added.
Tinubu also praised the courage of Governor Matawalle, who, he said, faced the worst forms of opposition, including banditry.
“I thought the termites would eat it. He listened to the words of the elders, he brought reconciliation and peace to Zamfara state,” said Tinubu.
In response, Governor Bello announced that he had collapsed his Presidential Campaign Council and would donate the building to Mr. Tinubu’s campaign organization.
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The Governor promised that he would be in the streets to campaign for Tinubu and lead APC to victory.
“Today I collapsed my Presidential Campaign Organization.
“I am donating my campaign organization secretary to you. I’ve learned a lot from the little lecture you gave us.
“What older people see when they’re in the valley, younger people won’t see,” Bello said.
The governor noted that the convention and primary elections had come and gone. He promised to lead young people to campaign for Mr. Tinubu to ensure that APC wins convincingly.
“Never again will the PDP lead this country. Thank you to all my fellow governors for giving me the opportunity to learn from you.
“Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC National Chairman) has never lost an election and we will win the 2023 election. Our convention went well and peacefully,” he added.
(YAYA)
SEE: Governor Yahaya Bello’s roadmap to Hope 2023