Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has formally declared to run for President in twenty-twenty-three.

The event was attended by some dignitaries including his deputy. Edward Onoja, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode and Hafsat Abiola-Costello, the daughter of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late M.K.O. Abiola.

By his declaration, Bello, who will be concluding his second term in office in 2024, has joined other prominent APC members who have indicated interest in flying the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election.
They include the National Leader of the party and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.
Others speculated to join the race soon are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; former Abia governor and serving senator, Orji Uzor Kalu; and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, whose posters adorn strategic places in some Nigerian cities.

The Governor made the declaration at the Eagles Square in Abuja where he read out a speech.
Governor Bello said he will build on the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari by creating 20 million naira millionaires in the country by 2030.
“According to a BBC report of February 13, 2012 over 100 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty during the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) era,” the Governor said.
“In 2018, with APC in the saddle that figure has dropped to about 87m people yet Nigeria overtook India as the poverty capital of the world. Just this month, Nigeria through the effort of the President relinquished the title back to India and brought down the figure to about 70m people.
“It is therefore clear that our path to national prosperity lies in pulling millions of Nigeria out of poverty.
“The Buhari administration has a target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the year 2030. A Yahaya Bello presidency will have an additional target of creating 20 million naira millionaires by the same year 2030 with the aim that each of them will empower five other citizens.”
The declaration ceremony was attended by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, Kogi State Deputy governor, Edward Onoja and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode among others.
Daughter of the presumed winner of the June 1993 presidential election, late Moshood Abiola, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, was named the Director-General of the Yahaya Bello presidential campaign.