The resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has created a significant vacuum at the nerve center of Nigeria’s ruling party. While speculation mounts regarding who will ascend the coveted seat, particularly amid reports that the position is zoned to the North Central, one name stands tall in stature, experience, national resonance, and strategic capacity—Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

This moment demands more than a bureaucratic placeholder; it demands a political general, a unifier, and a generational bridge-builder who understands both the battlefield and the ballot box. Yahaya Bello embodies the synthesis of youthful vigor and tested leadership. His emergence as National Chairman would not merely be a reward for past efforts but a strategic repositioning of the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tested and Trusted: A Leader Moulded in Governance

Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a chartered accountant by profession, a technocrat in character, and a man known for financial prudence. As a two-term Governor of Kogi State, he ran a government marked by fiscal discipline, infrastructural transformation, and bold administrative reforms. He is not a career politician by accident—he is one by design and resilience. His governance style was pragmatic, his decisions often surgical, and his leadership unapologetically assertive.

As National Youth Coordinator for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, Yahaya Bello demonstrated his organizational prowess, energizing millions of Nigerian youths with a vision of renewed hope. He remains a household name among the youth, market women, entertainers, artisans, digital influencers, and grassroots mobilizers. He has built a coalition of loyalty that cuts across age, region, religion, and social class.

A Bridge Between Old and Young, North and South

At 50, Yahaya Bello is not too young to be naïve nor too old to be detached. He is the proverbial middleman—a generational bridge who speaks both the language of the elders and the codes of the youth. His political brand is pan-Nigerian in scope and deeply rooted in North Central, the zone long overdue for substantial national recognition within the APC’s leadership structure.

There is a reason Nigerian celebrities, Nollywood actors, skit makers, and cultural influencers rally around him—they see in him a reflection of their aspirations. In an era where perception often precedes policy, Yahaya Bello offers both—an image that inspires and a mind that delivers. He is not merely followed; he is trusted. Not merely visible; he is impactful.

Strategy Meets Substance

Party politics is not a ceremonial exercise; it is a war room of strategy, timing, alliances, and narrative. Alhaji Yahaya Bello has mastered these elements. He is fearless when decisions are unpopular, methodical when pressure mounts, and proactive in a way that few contemporary politicians are. His pragmatism is boundless. He does not wait for storms—he builds vessels ahead of the tide.

With 2027 in view, the APC needs a National Chairman who can secure at least 60% of the electoral infrastructure necessary for victory before the campaigns begin. Yahaya Bello is already plugged into the national conversation—his voice resonates in the streets, in digital spaces, in youth forums, and across geopolitical divides.

If the goal is to maintain presidential power beyond 2027, then installing Yahaya Bello as Chairman is not just politically convenient—it is strategically essential.

A Symbol of the APC’s Renewal

Democracy, when not renewed, becomes redundant. The APC, if it must retain its political vitality, must speak the language of the now and the vision of the future. Yahaya Bello stands for that paradigm shift—one where age is no longer a ceiling, where regional politics does not suffocate national ambition, and where competence trumps patronage.

He is a former presidential aspirant. He is connected to the youth like no other APC leader. He is fearless, charismatic, accessible, and relentlessly driven. In the words of the great Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the worst is nothing.”

To delay his emergence is to slow the party’s adaptation to the new realities of Nigerian politics. To support him is to announce boldly that the APC is not afraid of change—it is the architect of it.

Conclusion: The Time Is Now

In a country yearning for direction, and in a party seeking to secure continuity and relevance, Alhaji Yahaya Bello offers both compass and capacity. Should he formally indicate interest in the position of APC National Chairman, the National Working Committee and other decision-makers should not hesitate. He is not just an option; he is the winning strategy.

This is not a time for trial and error. This is a time to be deliberate. A time to reward vision, discipline, national reach, and loyalty to the progressive cause. Alhaji Yahaya Bello is not just capable—he is inevitable.

Let the APC rise to the moment. Let the party honor its promise to the North Central. Let it empower a man who has empowered so many. Let it choose wisely—and let it choose Yahaya Bello.

Alhaji Abubakar Rajab.
Political Commentator & APC Stakeholder