Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Wednesday generously extended their job description as lawmakers to political advisers of the Governor, urging Governor Yahaya Bello to go ahead and pursue a 2013 presidential ambition that is yet to be announced.
It was gathered that the lawmakers during plenary passed a vote of confidence on the governor, calling on the ruling party, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to zone the position of Vice President to the South-Eastern part of the country, for purpose of equity.
The motion signed by all the 24 House members and read on the floor by the Majority Leader, Bello Abdullahi, said the governor ticked all the right boxes for the presidential seat.
“That it is in consideration of compelling accomplishment too numerous to mention that this Kogi State House of Assembly, assembled in full plenary, do hereby make and pass a vote of confidence upon his Excellency, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
“That this Kogi State House of Assembly further makes a call to national service to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and we hereby impress it upon him to run for the Office of the President or Vice President of Nigeria in 2023 – after his current assignment in Kogi State.
“That this solemn call is first and foremost premised upon and born of our belief that Yahaya Bello is fit and a proper person, with the right mix of youth, experience, and track record to answer same firmly and decisively in 2023 and beyond.
“That we make the call, aware that only the North Central and the South East geopolitical zones have not occupied the offices of President and Vice President since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1999.
“That we must, on behalf of our people, register our pain and frustration with the attitude of some of our compatriots and that this unfortunate attitude was again exemplified within the last two weeks by major leaders of our party, the APC.
“That we demand, in the interest of equity and justice, that in 2023 General Elections, both the office of President and Vice President of Nigeria must be ceded to North Central and South East geopolitical zones by the rest to peacefully arbitrate or contest for.”
Contributing to the motion, the member representing Olamaboro state Constituency, Ujah Anthony said it was high time the North Central took over the presidency.
“The North Central cannot continue to be the slave partner in Nigeria project, talking about the geopolitical zone to produce the next president who leads Nigeria at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in 2023.
“That the constitution provides that there should be equality, socio-political justice for all Nigerian’s, particularly section 17, sub section 1 of the 1999 constitution (CFRN) states; “the state social order is founded on ideals of freedom, equity and justice”.
“Whereas, the counsel here is that all Nigerian political leaders should return to their drawing boards in 2023 and patriotically reverse the injustice and inequality of making Northcentral the footstool of the superstructure of domination at the centre.
“Whereas available statistics by INEC shows that 81% of the registered voters in the country are youths from 18 to 50 years of age and that these youths have the capacity to make Nigerian attain its set target, hence the resolve that Alh. Yahaya Bello, the youngest Nigerian Governor fits into that bracket of what Nigerian want at the age of 40 in 2015.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Kolawole Matthew said members shall embark on spiritual means known to each members to actualize the presidential ambition for the governor.
They thereafter pass the resolution of the House to compel the governor to contest for the presidency, which will be communicated to the governor at the next APC state meeting.
24 members of the Assembly are from the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC with a bye- election scheduled for December 5 for Ibaji constituency.
Meanwhile, The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo had said few days ago that Governor Bello, is under pressure to contest the 2023 presidential race.
“The people are calling on him to run for president but he has not come out clearly to tell us whether he is accepting that clarion call or not,” Kingsley Fanwo had reportedly told TheCable.
