Sen. Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Friday commended Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, for mobilising the consciousness of youths during his campaign.
Tinubu stated this when he visited Gov Bello in Abuja, barely 72 hours after his emergence as the flag bearer of APC 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.”
Tinubu was accompanied on the visit by three governors —Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Bello Matawalle (Zamfara); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano).
A former Governor of Edo and ex-APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was also at the meeting.
The presidential hopeful also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for providing a level-playing ground for all the contestants during the special convention and primary.
Tinubu said, “The man of the convention, the man of democracy for 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 mobilised the consciousness of the youth in the county. You remind us of what the nation wants to be.
Tinubu described his victory as a very good step for the APC stakeholders to work for one united country that is concened about prosperity.
He also thanked all members of the Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, adding that, “ You all made a mark, you were resolute.”
The APC presidential flagbearer also thanked the party’s leadership for ensuring that the convention ended peacefully.
“The (opposition) thought there would be chaos and crisis. But we saw peace. Emi lokan. It’s my turn,” he said.
Tinubu said that he was very proud of the Director-General of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hafsat Abiola-Costello.
He noted that the peace and joy being enjoyed in the country was owed to her late father, “MKO Abiola, the reason June 12 became a public holiday.”
He also revealed that it was in the house of Kudirat Abiola (Hafsat’s mother) that he found the cap with which he disguised and fled Nigeria.
“I’m happy to be back to save Nigeria,” he added.
Tinubu also saluted the courage of Gov Matawalle who, he said, faced the worst form of opposition, including banditry.
“I thought the termites would eat him up. He listened to the words of elders, brought reconciliation and peace to Zamfara State,” Tinubu said.
Responding, Gov Bello announced that he had collapsed his Presidential Campaign Council and would donate the building to Tinubu’s campaign organisation.
The governor promised that he would be on the streets to campaign for Tinubu and take APC to victory,
“Today, I have collapsed my Presidential Campaign Organisation.
” I am donating my campaign organisation secretariat to you. I have learnt a lot from the little lecture you gave to us.
“What elders see when they are in the valley, the younger ones won’t see it,” Bello said.
The governor noted that the convention and /primary election had come and gone and promised to lead the youth to campaign for Tinubu to ensure that APC would win convincingly.
“Never again will PDP lead this country. Thank you all my colleague governors for giving me the opportunity to learn from you.
“Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC national chairman) has never lost election and we will win the 2023 election. Our convention went well and peacefully,” he added.
