Kogi State Governor and Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Yahaya Bello, has disclosed why he “excused himself” from a meeting of northern governors of the party with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Bello had angrily walked out of the party’s governor’s meeting following the rumoured consensus candidate announced by the party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu.
Adamu had reportedly announced that the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, as the APC presidential consensus candidate.
But while briefing the State House Correspondents after his closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, Bello said that the northern governors did not consult him when a resolution was reached for power to be rotated to the southern region.
According to Bello, he decided to leave the meeting where such concoctions were ongoing, adding that he wouldn’t mention a name.
He said, “I’m a unifier; I have demonstrated that severally in my state, I have demonstrated that severally in the various tasks that I was given by the party.
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“Nobody consulted me over the decision that they (northern governors) took. I will rather say that they were re-rolled by certain interests who want to be VP at all costs.
“Today is the special national convention of our party where a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will emerge. Leading up to today, there have been various controversies and issues before you.
“Certain videos went viral that I got angry and left a particular meeting. This is a period where a lot of lies, and misconceptions will fill the air. Then we have our father, the leader of our party, who should always know the reality or the truth and I came to brief him on exactly what happened. That is what happened.
“Some of my colleagues led by the self-acclaimed leader of them ganged up to suppress the voice of the people. The voice of over 26 million Nigerians, the voice of the women, the voice of people living with special needs, the voice of the choice of the party, that is exactly what I revolted against.
“I remain the leading candidate in this general election and I decided to leave the meeting where such concoctions were ongoing, that’s exactly what happened. I wouldn’t mention a name because I am honourable enough.
“The office I occupy today is an office that should be dignified and I have respect for elders even if some elders don’t respect themselves, so I wouldn’t mention names.”
