*Advises Jonathan not to succumb to pressure
From Austin Ajayi, Yola
As agitation has continued from different zones for the Presidency ahead of the 2023 polls, a Northern preasure group under the umbrella of Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has called on the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC,) to source for it’s presidential candidates from the North East and South West respectively .
The group which rose from its meeting in Gombe at the weekend, said they observed with deep interest the political permutations going on in the country towards the 2023 presidency
However the National Coordinator, Comrade Elliot Afiyo in a press conference in Yola, Adamawa State, advised that the group’s position is in the interest of justice, peace, and unity of the country.
The NYLF also advised the All Progressive Congress (APC) to adhere to the gentleman’s agreement existing in t the party to allow the South West producee its flag-bearer for president in 2023
While insisting that power rotation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dead and buried in 2011 it therefore advised PDP to pick its presidential candidate from the North-East if the party intends to make headway and bounce to power in 2023.
On the rumored intention and interests by the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to contest in the 2023 presidential election, the group advised him not to accept any invitation to contest under any party, warning that the North will never vote for him no matter the indices people are seeing.
“The NYLF which has overwhelming membership and support from North-West has resolved not to support or vote for any party that presents its candidate from the North-West for the presidency or vice presidency.” The coordinator said.
While making emphasis on the group’s vision and mission, Elliot said that “The NYLF is an umbrella body of forty-two (42) northern youth groups formed on the 20th of January, 1990 by the northern political, religious, military and traditional elites to propagate, protect and secure the interest of the north within the national interest
“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 chickens 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.
“Consequently, we are strongly calling for the complete overhauling of the security architecture in the country to face securely, the security challenges.”
