Governor Yahaya Bello’s 2023 Gets Boost

Governor Yahaya Bello climbs
OpenLife Nigeria reports that despite public aversion to the 2023 presidential aspiration of governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, the 46 years old Ebira politician seems to be inching higher on the presidential scale.
This assertion is on account of the robust and tacit supports from Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari.
Those who understand Nigeria’s political calculus will attest the influence of first ladies in governance.
In our March 21 report titled “Forces Behind Yaya Bello’s Presidential Aspiration” OpenLife hinted, among other things, that

Beyond all the shadows and phantoms aggregating physically on endorsement platform for governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, there is are strong forces behind his aspiration.
It would be recalled that the 2015 Kogi Gubernatorial election held on 21 November 2015 and Yahaya Bello who was not on the ballot ended up in Lugard Government House in Lokoja as the executive governor of the 30 years old State.
The then All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, an international banker and indeed, the first democratically elected governor of the State was on the verge of winning when he suddenly died.
Force at play favoured Yahaha Bello who hails from Okene-Eba / Agassa/ Ahachen in Kogi Central senatorial district and he was sworn in as the governor of the State.
However, that mandate was renewed for the 45 years old politician amid controversy on November 16 2019 when he scored 406, 222 votes while his closest rival Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP scored 189,704 votes.
The forces behind his political sagacity which pulled the string for his 2015 swearing-in were also available to upset the stage for his victory in 2019.
At the moment, Yahaya Bello is a frontline campaigner for Nigeria’s presidential seat in 2023.
Investigations by the Research and Intelligent Unit, RIU, of OpenLife Nigeria have clearly identified Hajia Aisha Buhari as the big masquerade who has always worked behind the scene to ensure that Yahaha Bello’s astronomical rise in the political space flies without hindrance.
However, those who recalled how the country’s first lady personally registered physical presence and campaigned round all the corners of Kogi for “Her son” to win a second tenure are entirely not surprised at this revelation.
“Whenever there are hiccups, she makes a phone call to the leaders both at the State and federal levels that Yahaya Bello is ‘Her son.’ Nobody queries the first lady’s calls,” the sources disclosed.
Further, the impeccable source said “Whenever you see governor Mallam El-Rufai dancing for Yaya Bello, it is because the first lady has approved of his candidature. The real forces behind him is the first lady,” OpenLife was told.
Moreso, OpenLife gathered that Mamman Daura, President Buhari’s nephew is among the forces behind Yahaya Bello.
“The old man like Yahaha Bello and whenever his matter comes up and there are positive remarks from Daura before President Buhari, it is a done deal,” said the source.
But will that play out in the 2023 presidential election considering the high profile individuals that have shown interest with the APC enclave?
“The forces behind Bello are still potent. Why do you think he is campaigning? They have assured him and the first lady is solidly behind him up till this moment. But you know, in politics, 24 hours is like a decade,” he said.
Confirming the potency of OpenLife’s  submission in March, the first lady, again, Monday, June 21 said her supports for younger generation to assume positions of authority remain unshaken, a tacit allusion to governor Yahaya Bello’s 2023 aspiration.
Mrs Aisha Buhari who spoke at the maiden edition of All Progressives Congress (APC) Youths Conference in Abuja, expressed her unalloyed support and commitment to young people saying
“I assure you that you have my support,” she said
This assertion immediately elicited joy in the camp of governor Yahaya Bello in Lokoja.
An insider who spoke to OpenLife on Tuesday morning said: “They were very happy yesterday. Governor Yahaya Bello is getting the backing of the first lady. President Buhari knows this. That backing means a lot for him to pick the ticket,” he assured.
Born on June 18, 1975 in Okene, Kogi State, the youngest of six children. Yahaya Bello attended Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Agassa in Okene Local Government Area beginning in 1984.
Record has it that he was named as a class prefect of class two and was made the school Head Boy in class six.
He attended Agassa Community Secondary School, Anyava, Agassa-Okene and obtained his Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE) and Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) certificates from Government Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State in 1994.
The young Bello went on to study at Kaduna State Polytechnic, Zaria in 1995 and obtained an accounting degree from Ahmadu Bello University ABU Zaria in 1999. Yahaya Bello further enrolled for a Masters programme in Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria where he obtained Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 2002.
He became a chartered fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria in 2004.
The governor is a lover of sport and fitness, especially boxing.