Posted by From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna on
THE presidential bid of Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and two former military Heads of State, Gens. Muhammadu Buhari and Badamasi Babangida (rtd) on Tuesday suffered a setback when they were rejected by youths of the northern states.
THE presidential bid of Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and two former military Heads of State, Gens. Muhammadu Buhari and Badamasi Babangida (rtd) on Tuesday suffered a setback when they were rejected by youths of the northern states.
Under the auspices of Northern Youth Leaders' Forum (NYLF), the youth organisations withdrew their support from the politicians' quest for the exalted seat in 2007 general elections based on what they described as the trio's lack of credentials to pull the country out of its current quagmire.
According to the group consisting of 72 affiliated organisations from the 19 northern states and Abuja, in a communique issued after their meeting signed by the chairman, Elliot Afiyo and secretary general, Alhaji Adamu Musa:
"The Northern youths resolved not to support Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former military Heads of State, Gens. Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida because none of them will win the presidential elections if given the ticket".
It added: "It is our strong belief that either of the three will surely work against the other if given the ticket as witnessed in the last elections.
"To avoid scrambling for the Presidency and a repeat of the experiences of the 1993 and 2003 presidential elections where northern candidates were politically disgraced, which invariably demystified the northern political supremacy, we resolve not to support any of the three candidates".
Besides, the youths noted that they already had the names of some prominent northern politicians who will enjoy their support for the Presidency in 2007 elections if it is zoned to the area.
They listed former Nasarawa State Governor Alhaji Abdullahi Adams; Governor Adamu Ahmadu Muazu of Bauchi; former Lagos State Military Administrator, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) and Senator Jubril Aminu.
Also slated for the position of vice president in 2007 elections are some state governors including Rivers' Peter Odili, Chief Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu, Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Afiyo said: "A nine-member committee headed by the chairman of the forum has been set up to screen and prune the candidates to three each (presidency and vice-presidency) and present same to the general congress during its delegates' conference scheduled for October 2004".
The NYLF leader also condemned the spate of crises recorded in some parts of the North, threatening to hold "the governor of any state where crisis occurs responsible if he fails to take appropriate proactive measures to forestall future occurrences".
Also at the meeting were delegates from the Igbo Youth Assembly and Niger-Delta Youth Consultative Forum who were observers.