CORRUPTION DROVE ME OUT OF PDP – BELLO

Kanti Bello, an engineer, represented Katsina North Senatorial District (between 2003 and 2011) in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, first as member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and later as member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His membership of the ruling PDP paved the way for him to become the Senate Chief Whip in the 6th National Assembly. However, he is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and in this interview Bello explained why he left the PDP. He also spoke on other issues. Excerpts:

BUHARI IS OUR MANDELA – KANTI BELLO

Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello represented Katsina North from 1999-2011 in the senate and is now a chieftain of the new mega party – the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with RUTH CHOJI, the former lawmaker states that the ruling PDP government is a complete disaster. He also states that, the only way the APC can succeed is by fielding General Muhammadu Buhari as its presidential candidate come 2015.

What assurances can you give Nigerian that the APC has come to stay?
Let’s look at it from the context of why the merger? Some of us who are old enough to know during the civil war, the part of the country where I come from have never been in dilemma like now and all this emanate from the lack of capacity of PDP as the party in government.

PRESIDENT MADE NO SINGLE-TERM PROMISE –EX-SENATE WHIP

Former Senate Whip, Senator Kanti Bello, has accused the Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, of telling a lie over his claim that President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to a single term in 2011.

Bello said, as a principal officer of the Senate in 2011, he attended a meeting of governors and lawmakers where the issue of Jonathan’s single term was raised.

The former Senate Whip told our one of correspondents in a telephone interview on Sunday that he personally raised the matter during the said meeting and that Jonathan did not make any promise of serving just one term.

Aliyu had in an interview aired on Liberty Radio, Kaduna, claimed that President Jonathan had agreed to serve for only one term of four years beginning from 2011.

But Bello, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party, who defected to the Congress for Progressive Change, dismissed Aliyu’s claims.

Bello said, “He (Aliyu) is being economical with the truth. You see, I will explain clearly what happened.