From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A Northern political pressure group, the Northern Youth Forum( NYF) has carpeted the leader of another northern group – Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) that purportedly endorsed a number of candidates and running mates for the 2023 Presidency.
Recall that NYLF, led by one Comrade Elliot Afiyo granted interviews to some national dailies, announcing a long list of candidates for presidency and running mates, majority of which were serving All Progressive Congress (APC) governors from the North.
However, NYF, in a terse media statement signed by its Sokoto State Chapter Chairman, Abdullahi Goronyo took exception to the “claims of the endorsement widely reported in the media and attributed to the leader of NYLF days ago” describing it as hogwash.
The NYF called on “Northerners of good conscience not to fall into the trap of what is actually a new group driven by political gold-diggers and opportunists imposing their own angle for cheap fortunes ahead of 2023 prematurely.
“Neither Mr. Afiyo nor his co-travellers in this handpicking of presidential candidates game have the mandate of the Northern youth to take such a hasty but weighty decision and even proceed to draw a list of candidates, while deliberately pushing the Northeast to the front burner”.
Going further, the NYF said, “such a move would create the wrong signal that it was a collective decision built upon consultation with all relevant stakeholders, when in reality it is not”.
Alhaji Goronyo, in the statement, called on Northern youths to “concentrate on generating new ideas against 2023, especially in the choice of presidential and other candidates through massive political enlightenment and avoid unnecessary roadshow in the media so early.”