2023: Yahaya Bello Meets Buhari, Presents Presidential Forms

The Governor of Kogi State and presidential hopeful, Yahaya Bello, says he has received the blessings of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the 2023 presidential election.

He made this known in a statement released by the Media Directorate of the Hope’23 Yahaya Bello Campaign Council on Thursday in Abuja.

The statement said Governor Bello received the president’s blessings when he presented his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to him at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.

According to the statement, the governor’s decision to present his presidential forms to the president was to shape his respect and loyalty to his political father and leader of the country.

“The Kogi State Governor in his usual practice presented his expression of interest and nomination forms for the 2023 Presidential election.

“This is to his political father and leader of the nation President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

“The governor received blessings from Mr President ahead of the 2023 presidential election in which he is currently the front-runner,” the statement read in parts.

Recall that Bello had on Wednesday bought his nomination forms at the cost of N100 million, making him the first amongst the aspirants to show commitment to his 2023 presidential ambition.

This development follows his reaction to the purported plan of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2023 presidency.

Bello said he is not worried about the rumoured defection of the former president to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his plan to contest the party’s presidential ticket.

He made this known in an interview with journalists at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, shortly after obtaining his expression of interest and nomination forms.

The governor added that he is not scared to contest against President Jonathan for the party’s presidential ticket, stressing that it is the beauty of democracy.

He, however, dismissed reports that the APC is planning to choose the former Nigerian leader as its consensus candidate, saying that the party has its own ethics, rules and regulations.