2023: No zoning of presidency to South in APC – Yahaya Bello

Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has denied reports that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had Zoned the 2023 Presidency ticket to the South following calls for it.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and other prominent Northern politicians all think the southern region of the country be allowed to produce the next president of Nigeria in 2023.

Reacting to this, Yahaya Bello over the weekend said anyone from any zone was free to contest for presidency in 2023, as there was no zoning arrangement in the APC.

He said: “There is nothing like zoning in our party. In 2015, there was no zoning; many aspirants, including former governor Rochas Okorocha contested.

“In 2019, there was no zoning; people in APC were not courageous enough to contest with President Muhammadu Buhari.”

When asked if he is interested in the 2023 presidency, Bello said: “If it’s the will of God for me to become president in this country at the right time, I will be.”

“I will record a vote that has never been recorded in Nigeria by the grace of God. But that’s not the issue right now; the issue is there must be Nigeria before we talk of 2023,” the governor added.