Most Influential Northern Youth Group Revolts Against North West Presidential Candidacy in 2023

– Northern Group Says It Regrets Supporting Buhari in 2015

– Says it’s Ready For Violent Confrontation with Protesters

– Praise Bala Mohammed for Outstanding Display of Leadership

The North’s most influential youth group and onw of the country’s most potent political and social mobilisation group, The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has emphatically said it is for now done with backing any presidential candidate from the north west side of the country, with respect to 2023.

The NYLF, is undoubtedly, the most influential northern youth groups, with an impeccable history of influencing electoral outcomes not only for the region but for the country at large.

The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NLYF), which is a group fully backed by northern elders Forum with the mobilisation capacity of about forty two (42) affiliate northern youth bodies formed in 1990, has for the first time in its history, turn, its back on providing political or mobilisation support for any candidate intending to run for President from the north west part of the country, come 2023.

The group made its position known in a press conference by its national Chairman, Comrade Eliot Afiyo, in Yola, Adamawa state.

Afiyo, while making the groups position known, advices the APC to select its presidential candidate from the south west, cautioned former president Goodluck Jonathan from yielding to the temptation to run in 2023 saying that it would only support candidates from the north East zone of the country.

Eliot said, “In the same vein, we want to advice our elders and elites from the north-west to shelve or discontinue any interest in the presidency or vice presidency come 2023 for the interest and unity of the northern region.

“The NYLF which has overwhelming membership and support from north-west, has resolved not to support or vote for any party that presents her candidate from the north-west for presidency or vice presidency.”

Northern group added that, “We observed with keen interest the political permutations going on in the country towards the 2023 presidency.

“We want to state clearly that the power rotation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dead and buried in 2011 and as such, the PDP is advised to pick its presidential candidate from the north-east if at all, the party intends to make a headway and bounce to power in 2023.

“We are also informed that such gentleman’s agreement exists in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We therefore and sincerely advised that the party produces its flag-bearer from the south-west zone.

“On the rumoured intention and interests by the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, we want to sincerely and categorically state that he should not accept any invitation to contest under any party because the north as it is now, would never vote for him no matter the indices we are seeing.”

Decrying the security situation in the north the NYLF said, “We are very much concerned with the security challenges of insurgency, kidnapping and banditry in the country especially in the north-west and north-east.

“We are pained that human beings are being slaughtered like chicken on daily basis.

“The massive killings in Sokoto, Zmafara, Katsina and Kebbi states which are on daily basis are not reported by either the print or electronic media for fear of being killed by the bandits and the government is not making enough efforts to address these situations.

“While acknowledging the fact that the service chiefs have overstayed and overdue for replacements, we wish to state that the solution to solving these security challenges are beyond the sacking of the service chiefs.

“Consequently, we are strongly calling for the complete overhauling of the security architecture in the country to face securely, the security challenges.”

Eliot also said, the national leadership of the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has already alerted its members across the northern states of Nigeria and Abuja, to be ready to confront any group of people organising a second wave of the EndSARS protests across the country claiming that the protest has long outlive its usefulness and it would not sit back and allow rogue elements to plunge Nigerians into another hardship in view of the already ailing economy.

National chairman of the Forum, comrade Elliot Afiyo while briefing newsmen said the forum acknowledged the grievances of the protesting youths but regrets the fact that the protest was hijacked midway by hoodlums which caused serious damage to the economy of the country, and therefore would not fold its arms and allow a second wave of the protests.

Eliot said, ”From the intelligence reports we received from our zonal and state coordinators and also from some of our members in the security circle, the second wave of these protests as planned by their sponsors, should not be allowed to take place in any of the northern states and Abuja.

“The NYLF is in possession of credible intelligence reports which shows that, the sponsors of the protests have strategised to bring down completely the already recessed Nigerian economy so as to give way for a military takeover and final disintegration of the country.

”We want to sound a serious warning to the organizers and all their sponsors to discontinue their plans and embrace dialogue or face whatever consequences as a result of the protests.

”All our zonal and state chapters are fully mobilized and prepared for violent confrontation with the protesters in any part of the North and Abuja,” the forum maintained.

The forum called on the Federal and northern states governments and all the security agencies to take proactive measures to avert “This impending crisis.”

”It is our belief and generally too, that our democratic system has provided enough room for setting or solving our problems.

“If this government is perceived to be a failed government, then we ought to change it through the ballot box in 2023.” The forum said.

With respect to the handling of the EndSARS protest, the forum singled out the Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, for resisting the temptation to hoard palliatives and that his actions vindicated him in the wave of the nationwide protest.

The NYLF, showered praises on the Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, for averting the EndSARS protests that swept the country recently, saying he was one of the few governors who meticulously distributed palliatives in his state by piloting the distribution as the adhoc committee head.

The National chairman of the NYLF, Comrade Afiyo Eliot, said, “Bala Mohammed distinguishes himself as an examplery leader, by faithfully getting palliatives across to communities in need in his state, thus, curbing activities of youths who went to various warehouses but could not find hidden palliatives.”

Eliot said, “”This is the kind of leadership the north needs to tackle the social and security challenges of the region and the forum would gladly support these kind of visionary leaders for higher offices in the country.

The northern Youth Leaders Forum categorically and unequivocally apologised to Nigerians for endorsing President Buhari in 2015 saying it regretted the role it played in endorsing and campaigning for Buhari, lamenting that the Buhari led APC government has failed and has not lived up to its expectations, hence the group would not back any candidate from the north west come 2023.

With this latest turn of events in view and with the gigantic power and track record of the NYLF to swing political influences in favour of its preferred candidates, it remained to be seen, the direction, the NYLF points to in 2023.