A previous leader of Kogi State has portrayed the nation’s president as a heavenly messenger chosen to mend the country’s deep-rooted troubles.
Yahaya Bello voiced this view at a lively gathering on Saturday backing the president’s leadership and the current Kogi governor’s efforts, with the event shown live on television.
Bello urged the crowd that no one should hold out for some fantastical saviour swooping in from above to sort out the land’s problems. “We will not wait for God to send an angel with wings to fly into Nigeria to fix it,” he remarked. “Did I tell you who the angel is? The angel is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If you are waiting for that animation on the television, see an angel flying with a wing to come to Nigeria to come and fix it, you wait forever.”
He reminded listeners that for years, people had yearned for sweeping changes long before 2015, dreaming of a fresh start without endless fuel handouts, with easy loans for pupils, a free-floating money market, fuller pockets for rulers and everyday folk alike, and a steady stream of cash from abroad. Bello tied these old wishes straight to the bold shifts under the president’s watch, saying the nation had stepped into that brighter tomorrow already.
The former state chief admitted that no team in power could wave a wand and heal decades of rot overnight. “Those of us and those of you who recognise that we are already in the new Nigeria, infrastructures are being fixed,” he noted. “Yes, no government can fix everything all at once because of the long years of decay in the system. It will take a while for anybody to be able to fix it. And Mr. President is fixing it, and he will fix it. We will support him to fix it.”
Bello looked ahead beyond the next ballot in 2027 or even a follow-on spell at the helm, calling for steps that etch a true mark on history. “Going into the future, not only the 2027 election, not just his second term, we want a situation where Mr. President will leave his legacy behind, and people like us, people like you, and other well-meaning Nigerians will continue to uphold his legacy because leadership without legacy is zero. It’s as good as you never come to power,” he declared.
Wrapping up with a personal touch, Bello shared a sense of deep contentment. “Today, I am happy. I feel fulfilled. This is my legacy. These are my legacies. Some of my legacies are watching me,” he added, nodding to the supporters around him.
The rally signals rising backing for the president’s circle as the country eyes the 2027 vote, where he looks set to chase another round in office. Allies spotlight his hand in key overhauls since stepping up in 2023, from ending fuel aids and rolling out scholar funds to easing currency ties and drawing in outside bucks to swell the public purse.
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