2019: Arewa youths reject Buhari

THE Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has said that Nigerians will not support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari because his government has impoverished them.

The AYF, in a statement by its President, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu, on Friday, in Kaduna, urged the president to have a rethink on his bid to get re-elected in 2019.

The Northern youth group expressed concern that the present administration had failed to tackle escalation of communal attacks, killings and kidnapping after two years of steering the ship of the country.

“After a cursory look at the polity and events of the recent past, northern youths have decided to react to some of the issues with a view to putting our imprint and thoughts on national discuss.

“The Arewa Youth Forum is worried about the mindless killings all over the country, especially those in Benue, Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers states. Also, this carnage is taking place in the new year. Our thoughts are with those affected.

“We are even more amazed that this is coming shortly after the extension of the tenure of the service chiefs. As such, it calls for serious concern. Is this the good work that the president extended their tenure for?

“It is time for them to justify their continuous stay in office or give way to those that can bring out a security architecture that can protect Nigerians.

“We are also worried that Nigerians had to go through the Yuletide with agony and pains because of the fuel scarcity which still persists into the new year with the Federal Government not having a definite roadmap to ending the malaise,” the group said.

On the proposed plan by Buhari to vie for second term in office in 2019, the AYF said the president had not justified the reason Nigerians should endorse his ambition, given the economic hardship and poverty in the land.

“This scenario was also compounded by the prevailing hardship Nigerians have been going through because of the actions and inactions of politicians and the elite who we believe have not done enough to assuage the plight of the ordinary Nigerians.

“If you add these challenges to the  corruption allegations that have plagued some top high ranking officers of this administration, the inability of Mr President to address same leaves a sour taste in the mouth of many Nigerians.

“Consequently, we are appalled to hear that in the midst of all these, the president and his men have already put in place measures to kick-start his re-election bid for 2019.

“As the apex body of youths in the 19 Northern states and Abuja with affiliates across the country, we see the re-election bid of Mr President at this point in time inhuman, uncalled for and an insult to the sensibilities of the suffering Nigerian masses,” it added.

On the issue of widespread killings, the AYF said: “We expect the president to visit some of the states and when he came to Kaduna, he should have condoled with the people or even visited the area.

“It was disheartening that when the president visited Kaduna State, black marketers were having a field day as many of the stations were closed and the people were buying fuel at over N350 per litre. This, we believe, is not good enough.

“Nigerians expect a more purposeful leadership from the champion of change than this anarchy in the land and the time to act is now, Mr President,” the group added.