Northern
Youth Leaders' Forum (NYLF) has shortlisted about 12 notable
northerners to replace ailing President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai was also listed among those to contest in 2019
The Northern Youth Leaders’ Forum (NYLF) has vowed that it will
never allow Nigeria's next president to be a man from the southern part
of the country and has shortlisted possible northerners to contest the
Presidential election in 2019.
While speaking on the incident, the leader of the group, Comrade Elliot Afiyo said: “We want to reiterate and clearly warn that the North will not, and will never allow presidency to move to the South in 2019."
“As much as we can tolerate or pay any sacrifice for the unity
of this country, we remain committed to a northern president in 2019.”
Here are a shortlist of 12 northern politicians it endorsed for the 2019 presidency. They are:
1. former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
2. the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki
3. Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State
4. Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto
5. former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido
6. Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State
7. former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
8. former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff
9. Governor Ibrahim Shettima of Borno State
10. Governor Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State
11. Alhaji Tanimu Turaki
12. Senator Bala Muhammed
Comrade Afiyo said: “We want to reiterate and clearly warn that
the North will not, and will never allow presidency to move to the
South in 2019. As much as we can tolerate or pay any sacrifice for the
unity of this country, we remain committed to a northern president in
2019.”
According to a report by Daily Post, Afiyo said the group had
forwarded the names of the endorsed persons to its patrons and the
leadership of the 42 affiliated organisations to Northern Youth Leaders
Forum (NYLF).
The group awaits screening and endorsement of only two candidates
who will be considered during its 15th Annual National Convention coming
up in September, 2017, in Kano.
He said: “We want to send a message to all political parties
that may field southern presidential candidates in 2019 election that
such action will amount to political death for the party." It
warned northern leaders to desist from supporting candidates from the
South and insisted that such action would be counter-productive to their
irreversible decision for a 2019 northern presidency.
The group further called on all northern youths to embrace dialogue
and peace, and not to allow themselves to be swayed by those who use
religion and ethnicity to divide the north and gain political
advantage.
Afiyo said NYLF was strongly instrumental to the emergence of
“Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan as well as
current President Muhammadu Buhari as presidents in 2003, 2007, 2011 and
2015, respectively, without regional bias.”
The group said its actions were always guided by national interest
far above any other interest. On the quit notice to Igbo by some
sections of the Northern youth group, Afiyo said the youths were angry
members who felt they were used and abandoned by the All Progressives
Congress (APC) politicians.
Afiyo added: “We consider the quit notice as ill advised,
ill-timed and uncalled for. “We strongly believe the groups of northern
youths were motivated, encouraged and sponsored by some individuals who
felt cheated by both the federal government and some state governments
controlled by the APC.
“These individuals were used and dumped; no recognition or
appreciation was extended to them. “They are, therefore, bent on
destabilizing the government."
This comes after a coalition of three Igbo groups shortlisted 11 prominent Igbo politicians for president in 2019.
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