The director-general of the Yahaya Bello presidential campaign organisation, Hafsat Abiola-Costello has said she is with the Kogi State governor because he has better chances of becoming president than other aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abiola-Costello, the daughter of MKO Abiola, stated that she chose Governor Bello over all other South West aspirants because she believes he is committed to the progress of Nigeria.
She said this on Monday while addressing journalists in Lagos ahead of the APC presidential primaries slated for May 30 and 31, in Abuja.
Abiola-Costello said Bello was a loyal and respectful person, who would carry everyone along after he emerges.
On economy, she noted that statistics from the World Bank on states accountability rating in Nigeria indicates that Kogi ranks top among other states in the country.
She said: “This is a man who met a debt profile of about N135bn in Kogi when he assumed office in 2016, but has been able to reduce it to about N70bn. This is in addition to his huge investments in education, agriculture, security and infrastructural developments. The World Bank accountability ranking of states in Nigeria evaluated Kogi as 2nd in 2017, 1st in 2018 and 2019.
“The draft report for 2021 shows that Kogi scored 100 per cent in all the areas and from indications, the state will maintain the first position in 2021, judging from the draft report that was released just yesterday.
“I am proud of GYB because of his development records in Kogi. “
This is a governor that is always looking for progress and the development of lives of his people. This is me, a Yoruba, supporting someone from North Central.
“There is no progress without demands, I lost my both parents, though unfortunately, because Nigerians believed in them. I’ve been working with GYB for a while and I have seen that he has the courage and intelligence to deliver Nigeria.”
She said as one of the foremost presidential aspirants of the party, Governor Bello had reached out to party stakeholders in nearly all parts of the country, adding that he stands a better chance to clinch the party’s ticket than others.
The Director-General said, in terms of insecurity, the governor had been able to bring down the crime rates to the barest minimum, adding that through a well crafted management system, he had united all the groups in the multi-ethnic state.
Abiola-Costello said the campaign team of Governor Bello had been interfacing with critical stakeholders of APC to present his development credentials, which would be replicated at the federal level.
Going into the presidential primaries, we are on a good footing. If you plant a good seed very early, you will reap better than those who plant late,” she noted.
Other presidential aspirants on the ruling party’s platform include Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State; Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president; Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; Ahmad Lawan, senate president, among others.
