A coalition of Arewa
youths has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president,
Atiku Abubakar not to contest the 2019 presidential election.
The group said the duo
should rather leave the stage for more competent, younger persons between the
ages of 18-60 years to contest and steer the affairs of the country.
In a communique issued
at the end of a two-day summit in Kaduna, and read by the group’s spokesman,
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, it noted that it is not the first time they would advise people
in their 70s and above, particularly, President Buhari, to quit the
presidential stage for younger generations.
“We have advised him
(Buhari) to look for a younger person who has the same integrity like his to
run for the presidency.
“Anybody above 70 years of age should give way to the younger generation.”
“Anybody above 70 years of age should give way to the younger generation.”
The Arewa youths also
urged that the recommendations of the committees set up by
the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Northern Governors Forum on
restructuring be “discredited and abandoned.”
The communiqué said
its advice to Buhari and Abubakar is in recognition of the reality that
Nigerians, within the age bracket of 70 years and above
have “participated in debates which gave birth to the current
national arrangement that is largely acknowledged as having failed
our national aspirations.”
The communique further
said: “This is in recognition of the reality that Nigerians within this
age bracket are growing worried that the nation has not fared well by
being on the same political and economic lanes for 58 years (1960-date),
resulting in no meaningful developmental impact.
This shall, therefore,
eventually form the cornerstone for a platform for Nigeria to deliberate,
decide, design and develop a roadmap for an ultimate generational
power transition.
“Frustrated young
Nigerians, having paid their dues in the national developmental effort, have
been left to suffer the suffocating consequences of the prevailing exclusive
and defeatist leadership selection process being imposed on the country over
the years, by successive ruling elite.
“It is time they
formed a rallying point from which younger Nigerians can make a strong demand
for a new political order, to usher in a generational power shift, as
reparation for past marginalisation in the nation’s political leadership.”
It also frowned at, “the mistake about to be committed by the present crop of northern political leaders in accepting a proposal that could mortgage the region’s coIlective interest and its future.
It also frowned at, “the mistake about to be committed by the present crop of northern political leaders in accepting a proposal that could mortgage the region’s coIlective interest and its future.
“The seeming
endorsement by some northern leaders of a brand of restructuring that
clearly places the region at a disadvantage is unacceptable and must be
discountenanced.
For the avoidance of doubt, the North fully supports the restructuring of the country and shall be prepared to represent itself in any debate on the issue.
For the avoidance of doubt, the North fully supports the restructuring of the country and shall be prepared to represent itself in any debate on the issue.
“The North shall,
however, not settle for any restructuring plan that falls short of a total,
comprehensive and wholistic reordering that should, first and foremost, include
the peaceful, democratic and civil determination of the people or
groups of people who truly and sincerely wish to remain part of the Nigerian
federation.
“Any reorganisation
process which fails to involve the discussion of the limits and extents of all
the federating components, with regards to available space and
resources, shall not be acceptable to the North,” the group said.
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