By: Najeeb Ibrahim |
In search of purposeful leadership and the quest of the Nigerian youths calling on the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, not only to run in the 2023 Presidency but also mobilizing towards actualization of the dream and ensuring his emergence as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is no doubt gaining popularity amongst Nigerians within and outside the shore of the country.
Although, Yahaya Bello has not formally indicated interest in the race on either to or not to run, but several calls have emerged from near and far for the Kogi born politician to respect and yield to the calls in the interest of the nation as the country is in dire need of a game changer with the ability to combined sound education with emotional intelligence and take the country to an enviable position being envisaged by Nigerians within and in the Diaspora.
There is no doubt, that the African most populous nation; my dear country is in need of a detribalized political leader like Yahaya Bello with his ‘Midas touch’ and his proven capacity since being displaced in providing good governance to come and rescue the country from the collapse of the economy and insecurity that is on the verge of tearing the country apart along ethnic and religious lines.
Indeed, one of such calls for the GYB to run for the Presidency in 2023, came from a youth group under the auspices of Arewa Youth Forum (AYF), noting that it is a time for the youth to take over the country’s leadership, just as they said they are tired of recycling political leaders who according to them have not provided purposeful leadership to meet the yearnings of the teeming population of the country. “After a thorough research and evidence of the numerous antecedents of Yahaya Bello, the Arewa youth decided to call on him to run for president in 2023.” The group also said that Yahaya Bello had made remarkable achievements in the areas of security, infrastructure, youth and women inclusion in governance, as well as his firmness against the politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Like many other young Nigerians wanting to change the narratives of political bandwagon and recycled politicians, we are looking up to him as the hope of the Nigerian youth,” the youth group said.
In the last few years, the emergence of Yahaya Bello as the governor; steering the affairs of Kogi state is in no doubt brought unity and integration, infrastructural development, enhancing security, institutional reforms amongst other areas to Kogi state. These achievements followed his purposeful leadership of honesty, resilience and tenacity of his administration in doing what is right. His achievements in providing dividends of democracy to the good people of Kogi state like never before made many political observers to said Yahaya Bello is the right person who deserves to lead Nigeria and Nigerians in 2023.
However, in the present political dispensation, what most Nigerian politicians are lacking is the competence. Meanwhile, providing good governance is competence and experience driven at various levels. But in the case of Yahaya Bello, even the ardent critics of his administration can attest to the fact that he has the experience and technical know-how in providing good governance. Governor Bello’s leadership qualities has been advanced as reason for his effortless rise in Nigeria’s political landscape and beyond, being the reason for his recent recognition by the United Nations (UN) for his effort in ensuring the inclusiveness and greater women participation of women in politics in Kogi State.
Indisputably, the Confluence State has always come first in most local and international ratings by credible organizations, affirmed that Bello’s stewardship and administration which embraced a well-structured fiscal policy and prudent management of the state’s scarce resources has reduced the state domestic debts to the barest minimum since he assumed office as governor of the state. No doubt, Governor Yahaya Bello is a gender sensitive democrat and has become the pride and face of the North Central. He is an ambassador of Nigerian youths who will no doubt replicate his laudable achievements in Kogi State at the national level when given the opportunity to rule this country.
The calls on well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians to join forces in pressuring Governor Yahaya Bello to accept the call to vie for the coveted presidential seat of the nation is now the assertions on the lips of Nigerians in any political gathering across board. These followed his resourceful, meticulous, transparent and detribalized virtues.
May we not miss the opportunity to once and for all reform our country by entrusting its leadership in the hands of active and forward thinking leader like Governor Yahaya Bello.
Ibrahim writes from Kaduna
