The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, says the ability of those calling on him to contest the 2023 presidential election to mobilise Nigerian youths to join All Progressives Congress (APC) will determine his response to their call.
Mr Oladele Niyi Director-General of Gov. Yahaya Bello to President Yahaya Bello (GYB2PYB) Youth Support Group disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
The group had earlier given Gov. Bello a 14 days ultimatum to accept its call on him to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Bello is the chairman of the APC Women and Youth and Persons with Disability Sensitisation and Mobilisation Committee for the membership registration and revalidation exercise.
“Bello has acknowledged that his refusal to comment on our ultimatum may be subject to litigation by our group.
“As a result, therefore, and to spare our already overworked judiciary more avoidable work, he will neither be accepting nor declining our ultimatum at the moment.
“Instead, he has thrown a challenge to the GYB2PYB Youth Support Group and all other groups that have urged and called upon him to contest the 2023 presidency.
Read Also: Nigeria’ll Overcome Security Challenges – Police Affairs Minister
“He has challenged us to partake in the ongoing membership mobilisation, sensitisation registration, and revalidation exercise of the APC,” Niyi said.
He added that Bello charged the group to triple APC membership base in the country ahead of the 2023 general election by mobilising Nigerian youths, women and persons living with disabilities to register as members.
According to Bello, our ability to meet this challenge will further convince him of our capacity to marshal Nigerian youths in support of the race which we have asked him to join.
Niyi said Bello through the group, was calling on all other youth groups across the country to join hands with him and his committee to bring more members into the APC fold.
“He has urged us that after we succeed together in this onerous exercise, we can then sit down to consider other opportunities we can take advantage of in order to take our destiny in our hands.
“He said our support will improve his chances of finding the courage to answer our call in the affirmative,’’ Niyi said.
He appreciated the governor`s response and assured that the group would embark on the mobilisation and sensitisation of Nigerian youths to register as APC members in the actualisation of the project.
The group`s Director-General expressed optimism that Gov. Bello and his team would make the desired difference that would boost the party`s membership base.
According to him,Nigeria needed a young dynamic, forward looking, and experienced leader, like Bello in 2023 to tackle the challenges confronting the country.
“The governor has what it takes to provide purposeful leadership and good governance if elected as president in 2023 general elections,“ Niyi said.