From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has said that if given the option and privilege to appoint the next president, he would appoint Ekiti state governor and APC presidential aspirant, Dr Kayode Fayemi, as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.
Governor Sani Bello also described Fayemi as one of the aspirants that have been a friend to the state before coming to canvass for votes for his presidential ambition.
A statement released Monday in Abuja by Femi Ige, spokesman of Dr. Kayode Fayemi Presidential Campaign Organisation, disclosed that governor Bello made the declaration when he recieved the presidential aspirant in Government House in Minna.
“You have been here at least three or four times before now. You have been a close friend to Niger state. It is not now that there is a need for support that people are coming.
“Only five or six people have been to the state but you can count on my support. If you become president, I will relax because I know I will have easy access to you. In fact, if I have my way I will appoint you as the next president after President Buhari,” Bello said.
The Niger governor also said that although he never get involved in congresses or ward elections, the aspirant has sold himself and he is certain that Niger state delegates are behind him.
Earlier, the APC presidential aspirant, Fayemi, said there were only five presidential aspirants in the APC as the others are pretenders.
“This is a season of visits and states keep receiving us. The list of presidential aspirants says there are 23 but only five of us are going around the country. With this, you can separate the pretenders from the contenders.
“I am ready for the job. I want you to take a bet on me and you will have no cause to regret. I can remake Nigeria without unmaking it. I believe in Project Nigeria and that Nigeria is worth fighting for and together we can regain the lost glory of Nigeria,” he said.
Fayemi promised that when he becomes the President, he would work towards addressing the insecurity challenges bedevilling the country, adding that the triggers of insecurity will be addressed while more attention would be paid to intelligence and technology.
He further said that the headache of the government has always been the power supply adding that to address this, he would decentralize the power supply.
“Nigerians are not fully happy with us that we have not been able to move the needle towards the uninterrupted power supply.
“I think in addition to the national grid, we need to have regional grids, mini-grids, microgrids that would decentralize power supply to the local levels and this would address this challenge that we all face. Once we address the challenges of power, we address the problem of industrialization and productivity in the country,” he said.
Fayemi also said that women would be given priority in his administration, assuring that he would work towards restoring the faith of Nigerians to project Nigeria. “Many Nigerians have lost faith in project Nigeria. We will find a way to restore their confidence, trust and confidence in Project Nigeria. I am passionate about Project Nigeria and I will ensure it works.”
Fayemi, who also visited Kastina state, assured delegates of his plan to ensure proper reward system for all the party members.
“We need to return the power of patronage, the power of appointment to the party at the local level, not to people who don’t know what is happening in the party. So for me, it is absolutely important that we do that.
“But I also talk in my path or the need to have party Institute, a policy institute that we will always utilize to train the next generation of leaders in the party. Because people just become accidental politicians without learning the leadership roudiment, without going through the roles.”
Speaking on why he is more prepared, Fayemi told Kastina delegates that “when I come to you, I come in humility, not as a sense of entitlement. I come to plead for your support on the basis of my antecedents, the basis of my track record, the basis of my passion for this party, and on the basis of my quality as a unifier and bridge builder. And that is very important to me at this point in time and it has be important to all of us.
“I offer myself for this job. But it’s not a do-or-die for me. I would hope, certainly its my my prayer that Katsina delegates would take a bet on me and support me wholeheartedly. That’s my prayer insha Allah. However, if in the wisdom of the party, another person is asked to do this job, you can take it to the bank, I will support the choice of the party wholeheartedly. And with every fibre in me,” he promised.
