A Clarion Call to the APC Leadership: Why Yahaya Bello Is the Strategic Imperative for National Chairman

By Dr. Abubakar Raja

To His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Distinguished Members of the APC National Working Committee, and Esteemed Party Leaders Across the Federation:

At this pivotal moment in the evolutionary arc of our great party—the All Progressives Congress (APC)—we are summoned not to a ceremonial appointment, but to a strategic reckoning. The forthcoming selection of the National Chairman is not a procedural obligation; it is a determinant of our political destiny. It will either entrench our national dominance or foreshadow a lapse in cohesion, grassroots energy, and electoral certainty.

We recognize and commend the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who administered a period of institutional continuity following our presidential triumph. While his chairmanship did not coincide with a national election cycle, he carried the torch of stability. We wish him continued success in his new role as Chairman of the Board at FAAN.

Now, the mantle must be transferred to a personality not merely seasoned, but surgically precise in political orchestration, generational in relevance, and national in resonance. That personality is none other than Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

Bello is not simply a politician—he is a political synthesis of youth energy, grassroots loyalty, and strategic adaptability. A statesman of grit and grace, Bello has built a reputation for confronting political storms with composure and emerging stronger with every trial.

He hails from Kogi State, a region that stands as a historic and geopolitical nexus, having been carved out of Kwara and Benue States in 1991. As such, he inherits not just a state but a legacy of intersectionality, with ethnic and cultural roots running through multiple corridors of the Middle Belt and Northern Nigeria. Kogi shares boundaries with no fewer than nine states, making it one of the most strategically placed federating units in the country. In Bello, therefore, is a leader forged by proximity, diversity, and regional sensitivity.

His political identity is not anchored in rhetoric, but in performance. He is dogged yet diplomatic, courageous yet consultative. His grasp of political timing and tactics is alphabetic in structure—from Plan A to Plan Z, he leaves nothing to chance. He does not wait for events—he engineers them.

Bello enjoys a deep-rooted rapport with the Chairman of ALGON and all serving local government chairmen across Nigeria. Additionally, the Chairman of the Association of Former Local Government Chairmen is also from Kogi State, reinforcing Bello’s strategic access to both active and legacy grassroots networks—the very arteries of electoral machinery.

His religious credentials are equally formidable. As Governor of Kogi State, Bello hosted the national Eid Maulud celebration, a symbolic gesture of unity. He has publicly declared his allegiance to the Tijjaniyya Sufi Order, with over 60 million adherents. Within this religious community, Bello is viewed not just as a political leader, but as a spiritual ally committed to equity and inclusion.

Most critically, Bello possesses the strategic dexterity to disarm and outperform any opposition coalition, regardless of its magnitude or composition. He converts adversaries into allies, skeptics into strategists. His genius lies in his ability to neutralize political opposition without theatrics—through persuasion, coalition-building, and unmatched calculation.

His critics, many of whom rose to relevance through his benevolence, often reveal more about their own insecurities than his competence. As the proverb goes, “The hand that lifts others often bears their bite.” Yet Bello remains undeterred.

From Benue, where he once lived and built a thriving business empire, to Nasarawa, where he is enthusiastically received, to Plateau, where his economic footprints run deep, and to Kwara, Niger, and beyond, Bello is a regional son, a national voice, and a household name. He is embraced across boundaries—not as a stranger, but as kin.

He is loved by the youth, embraced by entertainers, admired by religious clerics, and respected by political gladiators. His connection with Kannywood and the cultural industry of the North is unwavering. His relationships transcend religion, ethnicity, and region. He is also a Nollywood family.

To Mr. President, the National Working Committee, and the architects of APC’s future, this is the time for clarity. This is not a moment to gamble—it is a time to consolidate the base, capture the future, and unify the bloc.

Yahaya Bello as National Chairman of APC is not just a wise decision—it is a masterstroke.

As the African proverb goes: “When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” In Yahaya Bello, the APC finds not just deep roots—but a canopy wide enough to shelter every zone.

Choose wisely. Choose courageously. Choose Yahaya Adoza Bello.