The Arewa Youth Forum, (AYF) has said Nigerians will not support the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari as his government has impoverished Nigerians.
As they urged President Muhammad Buhari to have a rethink for his re-election bid in 2019.
They also expressed concerned on the escalation of communal attacks, killings and kidnapping that his administration has failed to tackle two years after steering the ship of state .
In a statement by the President of AYF, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu in Kaduna on Friday, noted “after a cursory look at the polity and events of the recent past”, the northern youths have “decided to react to some of the issues with a view to putting our imprint and thoughts on National discuss.”
According to him, “Arewa Youth Forum, is worried about the mindless killings all over the country especially those in Benue, Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers, also that these carnage is taking place in the new year. Our thoughts are with those affected.”
“We are even more amazed 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 to 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 persist into the new year with the Federal government not having a definite Roadmap to ending the malaise.”
On the proposed plan by Buhari to vie for second term in office in 2019, Gujungu said that the President has not justified why Nigerians should endorse his ambition following the economic hardship and poverty in the land.
Said he: ” 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 believed have not done enough to assuage the plight of the ordinary Nigerians.”
“If you add these challenges to the corruption allegations that had 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. “
Besides, on the issues of magnitude of the killings, Gujungu argued, “we expect the president to visit some of the states and when he came to Kaduna, he should have condole with the people or even visit the area”.
“It was disheartening that when the President visited Kaduna State, black marketers were having a field day as many of the stations where closed and the people where buying fuel at over 350/liter. 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”, Gujungu added.
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