Ahead of the February 2023 Presidential election, the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has revealed that the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello will defeat the 2019 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, if the duo contested.
Fani-Kayode said this during an interview with Channels Television on Friday, saying he believes Bello will make an “excellent president,” adding that the Kogi governor will appeal to young Nigerians.
“I believe Governor Yahaya Bello. I believe that he will be an excellent president. I believe he will appeal to millions of young people in this country and that this is a change in the dynamics we are giving power to a younger person. That is just my view though,” he said.
Asked if the Bello could defeat Atiku during the presidential election in 2023, the former minister said the Kogi governor would defeat the former vice-president squarely.
“Why not? He (referring to Bello) will defeat him (referring to Atiku) hands down,” he said.
The former minister further explained that only the Governor of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed, and his Enugu counterparts, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, from the PDP can provide a “strong fight” against the APC in the 2023 presidential election.
Fani-Kayode asked Mohammed to join the APC to contest the ruling party’s presidential ticket if the PDP denied him a slot.
“There are two people that will provide a very strong fight against the APC within the ranks of the PDP, only two. The first is Bala Mohammed, who I have immense respect for,” he added.
“But I doubt they have the presence of mind to give him the ticket in fact they will make sure he does not get the ticket or he should come to APC and try his luck.
“And Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state who is not even on your list (a list of 2023 presidential hopefuls put together by Channels Television) and he is one of the brightest and the best of them all, the most effective. They are two people that would provide a good fight.
Nigeria News: Ekiti 2022: Call your supporters to order – Eleka tells Segun Oni
“There is nobody else on that list, particularly Atiku Abubakar, that can stand against anybody within the APC, particularly against Yahaya Bello, Fashola or Fayemi. That is just my view, and I have my reason for saying that.”
There are speculations that Yahaya Bello would run for the Presidency in 2023.
Bello’s presidential campaign posters have been sighted in some states following the speculations.
However, Bello has yet to officially declare his interest in running for the Presidency in 2023.
With months to the 2023 election, there have been speculations on who will emerge party flagbearers of the two major political parties — All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In April 5, 2018, Fani-Kayode, described Yahaya Bello as a “boy,” a “useful idiot” and “an accursed slave with non-functional mental faculties” but now he believes Bello will make an “excellent president”.
“If President Buhari asks me to jump into the fire, I will not hesitate to jump into it”- Gov. Yahaya Bello
“When I wrote that this boy was a useful idiot and an accursed slave some said I was being harsh. Truth is that he is worse than that. His mental faculties are non-functional”, Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) April 5, 2018.
Since he defected to the APC last year, Mr Fani-Kayode has made efforts to protect his new party in good light.
In 2019, Mr Fani-Kayode described the APC as “a filthy, rat-infested sinking ship,” stressing that he would rather die than join the ruling party.
