Northern youths shortlist Atiku, Saraki, Lamido, others for presidency

^{The National Chairman of the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has shortlisted 11 names of northern politicians it endorsed as potential presidential candidates for the 2019 general elections.}

^{Leader of the group, Comrade Elliot Afiyo, who disclosed this, said five of the 11 persons, namely, Senator Bala Muhammed, former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto emerged as respectable presidential candidates from the North.}

^{Others are the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State, former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Governor Ibrahim Shettima of Borno State and Governor Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State.}

^{The group said it is disturbed by the ‘scheming’ and ‘maneuvers’ in the country suggesting southern interest in the 2019 presidency and reiterated that the north should retain the presidency in 2019, a position it had communicated to the south-west political leaders during a meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on June 6, 2017.}

^{Comrade Elliot said: “We want to reiterate and clearly warn that the North will not, and will never allow presidency to move to the South in 2019.}

^{“As much as we can tolerate or pay any sacrifice for the unity of this country, we remain committed to a northern president in 2019.”}

^{Afiyo said the group has forwarded the names of the endorsed persons to its patrons and the leadership of the 42 affiliated organisations to Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) for screening and for the endorsement of only two candidates who will be considered during its 15th Annual National Convention coming up in September, 2017, in Kano.}

^{“We want to send a message to all political parties that may field southern presidential candidates in 2019 election that such action will amount to committing a political suicide,” a statement by the group said.}

^{It warned northern leaders to desist from supporting candidates from the South and insisted that such action would be counter productive to their irreversible decision for a 2019 northern presidency. The group further called on all northern youths to embrace dialogue and peace, and not to allow themselves to be swayed by those who use religion and ethnicity to divide the north and gain political advantage.}

^{Afiyo said NYLF was strongly instrumental to the emergence of “Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan as well as current President Muhammadu Buhari as presidents in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, respectively, without regional bias.}

^{The group said its actions are always guided by national interest far above any other interest.}

^{On the quit notice to Igbo by some sections of the Northern youth group, Afiyo said the agitators were angry members who felt they were used and abandoned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) politicians.}

^{“We consider the quit notice as ill advised, ill-timed and uncalled for.}

^{We strongly believe the groups of northern youths were motivated, encouraged and sponsored by some individuals who felt cheated by both the federal government and some state governments controlled by the APC.}

^{“These individuals were used and dumped; no recognition or appreciation was extended to them.}

^{They are, therefore, bent on destabilising the government,” he said.}

^{The forum also inferred that the coalition of northern youth’s reckless action might have been incited by “our Igbo brothers insult and abuse of other nationalities, especially the northerners, calling us cows and parasites.”}

^{The statement further said: “We condemn in strongest terms, the approach of our brothers in issuing an ultimatum to Igbo. No nation or ethnic nationality can survive on its own without the support and help of another.}

^{“Northerners need the Igbo, the Igbo need the Yoruba, and Yoruba need the Hausa. We are totally against the balkanisation of Nigeria. We know the price the North paid for the unity of this country. We are more determined, committed and willing to continue to pay the price to keep this country one;}

^{not because we are afraid of our brothers from the east, west and south, nor are we afraid of the future, but for the labour of our heroes past.”}

^{The forum said advised all groups to operate within the ambits of the rule of law and strongly condemned the use of violence and hate speech in the country.}

^{It also called on the federal government and the Inspector General of Police to, “withdraw, forthwith, the directive to arrest the signatories of the Kaduna declaration.”}

^{“We believe our brothers in the South have said more than what our brothers said and were not arrested. There is, therefore, no justification for the arrest.”}

^{The statement went on to appeal to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to call for a meeting of genuine leaders of the northern youths and southern youths to find a way forward for the country.}

^{The group challenged the presidency to release the reports of the past constitutional conferences and constitute a committee to look into the recommendations of the conferences with a view to charting a way forward on restructuring the country.}

^{Northerners need the Igbo, the Igbo need the Yoruba, and Yoruba need the Hausa. We are totally against the balkanisation of Nigeria. We know the price the North paid for the unity of this country. We are more determined, committed and willing to continue to pay the price to keep this country one; not because we are afraid of our brothers from the east, west and south, nor are we afraid of the future, but for the labor of our heroes past.”}

^{Which past heroes are we talking about and what have they labored. If our fathers were heroes like you claimed in your write up, Nigeria will not be like this. we should be comparable to the US or the poorest of the European country but we are far from what a nation should be..They were never heroes.....but they maybe heroes to the north but not us.....our heroes are men and women who died voicing out against injustice in all it forms.}

^{what have these heroes in-question labored for Nigeria. Nothing, they have only labored for their pocket.....the unity you mentioned, could you sincerely say that Nigeria is united. Wasn't the same people that said, Nigeria is a mare geographic expression. Was it not the same heroes that say Nigeria is an estate of the grandfather,that the north should relentlessly pursue it course using the minority in the North as a willing tool and the south as a conquered territory. That they should never be allowed to have their own future. Immediately after the war that cost over 3millions lives, the war he prosecuted, your brother, Gowon said,there is no base for Nigeria unity. So why the war? Has the north denounced all these and now in pursuit of one Nigeria.}

^{The North should go and rest....
Since you have written to the Fed. Republic and Police inspector general to withdraw the arrest of the Arewa youth . On what grounds should the Federal govt. do this? Is it only on the base that the Ibos has uttered more hate speech than your brothers.. It shows that you are a supporter of their agenda. it shows you are part of this plot issued by your country men. It means you are contrary to the unity you seemed to portray.}

^{The price the north paid? Oh! was it the life of 3million Biafrans or over thirty years of military dictatorship and national stagnation or intermittent upraise of Islamic religious and regional tensions. Please could you tell the Nigeria people how much price the north has paid.}

^{I think I should collect you in some points on the quit notice to Igbo by some sections of the Northern youth group as you stated quoting, Afiyo, the agitators were angry members (APC) who felt they were used and abandoned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) politicians.}

^{How many of the agitators were in APC? Has the agitator ever said that they felt abandon because they were used and dropped? Did they not make their claims and points clear. They want Biafra. The point is not only being left out of scheme of things by this present government, ( most Nigerians are left out) but long over due on-addressed national issues of the Federal government. The government subjugation of her people for the interest of the people of the government.}

^{Your insight and thought in some points you raised are good, for instant when you said, the coalition of northern youth’s reckless action might have been incited by “our Igbo brothers insult and abuse of other nationalities, especially the northerners, calling us cows and parasites.” The statement further said: “We condemn in strongest terms, the approach of our brothers in issuing an ultimatum to Igbo. No nation or ethnic nationality can survive on its own without the support and help of another. You equally advice the Acting president to look into the constitutional conference.}

^{Since you know this, is it not better that these nations or ethnic nationalities constituting the entity Nigeria separate on a good note and go on to forge their independent nation based on belief and ideology. So that we may get the support and help we may deserve from each other later if and when the need arises.}

^{Since you used the word might, are suggesting that they maybe other causes? so, what other causes could have led to this ultimatum?}

^{In your statement you threatened the northern political leaders warning them to desist from supporting any presidential candidate from the south. This shows you are part of this plot of division. You are contrary to the unity you seemed to portray.You should have advocated for a good presidential candidate from anywhere in the country and not north.Your hypocrisy is revealing.}