From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum ( AYCF) has lambasted former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal over what it described as “narrow-minded, unguarded political sentimentalism and provocative stance” over the 2023 presidency.
Rising from its meeting on Friday, chaired by the National President of AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the group said there can be no better choice of Vice President for Tinubu than Senator Kashim Shettima, saying, “no one should turn our democratic space into the home of religious extremism.
The group, in the statement said Babachir and his co-travellers should ensure decorum in their comments in this new century of advancement all over the world”.
The AYCF queried Babachir and all the proponents of “this distraction and dangerous religious extremism”, saying, “we are familiar with the antics of narrow-minded, emotionally-driven politicians wearing religious garb.
“Talking of Muslim-Muslim ticket, we had Christian-Christian ticket with Awolowo under the UPN in 1978 and Azikiwe under the UNPP when he picked Professor Ishaya Audu, another Christian as running mate.
Going further, the AYCF recalled that “since the emergence of democracy till date, the South-south, South-east States have never given the chance for Muslims to taste the seat of running mates even at the level of governorship”.
The statement warned, “anti-Shettima campaign promoters should shut up before they create bad blood along religious fault-lines and drag the nation into further insecurity”