It is with great honour and privilege to know that our icon, hope of youths and women has finally accepted the people’s call to contest for the office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria with his campaign slogan as: Hope… Bridging the Gap
Remember, the good people of Nigeria have been calling on Gov. Yahaya Bello candidacy for President over six months ago and since then, it has been journey of discovery.
Crisscrossing the Country by holding town hall meetings and engaging Nigerians at different points on the socio-economic strata, GYB critically listened to the fears, hopes and aspirations of his fellow citizens. It has no doubt been an insightful journey, and through all this, he holds out hope for Nigerians. Even though people have been disappointed by those leading them, they still hold out hope for a leadership that will deliver good governance, security, and prosperity.
On his own, Gov. Yahaya Bello realized that few had ever engaged directly with those seeking their votes. It was a new experience for us. It is indeed an eye opening to interact with the electorate—not at large impersonal rallies, but up, close and personal. Thus, it has given the youths a new inspiration for what we all must do if Nigeria is to truly be a country for all.
OUR CHOICE OF GYB remains a very deliberate one. We want someone who shares our ideas of politics, with a party of the grassroots and not the elites whose operation marked a departure from the status quo that has led to the continued suffering of the Nigerian people. It would have been easier to bow down and kiss the rings of the many established politicians who have captured our resources and left our people poor but Gov. Yahaya Bello said no to political god fatherism, he chose to stand with you and the women who are vulnerable and grossly marginalized.
There is something more to leadership, something more to building a nation than just waiting for our turn at the table, or at best, being another technocrat whose reform ideas are frustrated by the political leadership. That is why we decided to support the youth governor to run for the Presidency.
More than ever before, Nigeria needs to be driven by a vision informed with a worldview that determines everything else. Up until about 40 years ago, China was viewed as a basket case: overpopulated, unproductive and ruined economically by decades of poor policies. Today, they snap their fingers and nearly every single African Head of States shows up in China with their hands out, eager for Chinese largesse. That’s what a country driven by a worldview can achieve.
In accepting the call to contest for the President of this nation, we are here before you to say that Nigeria is fully capable of achieving greatness at home and abroad in our lifetimes. But this cannot happen with our normal way of doing things.
The Nigerian way is to manage. To ‘manage it like that’. We are constantly under pressure to lower our standards in every area. We are used to saying: “at least, she tried”, “at least, he tried”, “you can see he is doing his best”. If Nigeria is to attain prosperity, we must learn to stop managing. We must learn to stop making excuses for one bad leader after another because of where they come from or how much money they have or whether we like them personally.
It is up to us to make the case that their way does not work anymore, that it has only left us in poverty and insecurity, that it has led to many fleeing this country because they feel there is nothing for them and their children here.
We must confront the mindset that things cannot be better, that we should manage till we get a Messiah, a miracle worker who will set everything right.
But here is the thing: there are no political Messiahs coming to save us. There are no magic wands. There is you, we and every Nigerian saying with determination that IT IS TIME FOR THE YOUTH. It is time for something new, something bold, something different.
It is time for us to bring the curtain down on an era of waste, corruption, and incompetence that holds Nigeria back from achieving its potentials. It is time for us to come together and retire these professional politicians who laugh at us, believing that they will return to power whether we like it or not.
2023 is not just an election. We will be setting our destiny as youths of this great nation. It is a choice between remaining a mere fractious assortment of ethnicities and religions on one hand, or building a gap of a real nation on the other. It is a choice between having freedom or remaining in slavery under our recycled and corrupt politicians, between poverty and prosperity for our masses of the poor and the unemployed, and between stability and continuing instability of the Nigerian state.
We must confront this thinking that nothing will change, that the results have already been decided. It is statements like “I like him, oh, but I don’t think he will win because of zoning”, or, “voting for him is like wasting my vote”.
The reality is that Nigerians have gained nothing from the current way of doing things even though President Muhammadu Buhari has done his part. If Nigerians knew the power they have, it is politicians who will be afraid of them, not the other way around. This is the message we must take to every corner of our nation: it is time to turn the page. It is time for a new political class of patriots, who understand how to create wealth, secure our country, and give every Nigerian, no matter who or where they are now, the opportunity to reach their potential.
Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen. The road from here to there is a long one. It will take a significant part of our time, and there will be many obstacles on our path. We will make mistakes along the way.
Ultimately, this campaign is not just about the President alone. We have other political offices that needs to be occupied by young and energetic leaders in other to have credible representation.
For us, in Okene/Ogori Magongo Federal Constituency, we have Hon. Tijani Ahmad Ozigis (TAO) who is also out there making waves and showing various capacity and capabilities of all sorts. He has shown in his antecedents, his having a lot to offer for the youths and good people of Okene/Ogori Magongo Federal Constituency.
Our campaign is about showing that a new kind of politics – one that puts the voters and their concerns at the centre, can win elections in this Country. We view the APC as vehicle for the aspirations of many who are deliberately shut out by the establishments.
Hon. Tijani Ahmed Ozigis and his groups are very grateful for the warm reception we got at the Eagles Square. We sincerely appreciate everyone who out of their tight schedules made it to the venue. We recognize your presence and you will not be let down as we are going into this full time.
In his speech at 1963’s March on Washington, Martin Luther King said: “we are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
God bless you, fellow citizens. God bless APC and God bless Nigeria!
It is:
GYB FOR PRESIDENT!
TAO FOR REP!!
2023 FOR THE YOUTHS!!!
