From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF), an umbrella of 42 Arewa groups, has called on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to urgently summon a meeting of those it called “Nigeria’s Fathers” with a view to intervening in the country’s woes and proffering solutions.
The group specifically called on Obasanjo to wade into the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that the party remains the only hope of Nigerians.
It described Obasanjo as an “advanced citizen who believes in the cooperate existence of Nigeria.”
The National Chairman of NYLF, Elliot Afiyo, made the call while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday, shortly after his meeting with Obasanjo.
Afiyo, who mentioned other ‘Nigeria’s Father’s’ to include former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) and Ernest Shonekan, listed banditry, kidnapping, corruption, poor economy, agitation for secession as part of the challenges bedeviling the country.
He said that it is high time these “patriotic Nigerians” met and proffered solutions to the challenges before it would consume the nation.
He disclosed that the NYLF was part of the groups that supported Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, but regretted that the president has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
He accused the APC of lack of political will to solve the myriads of challenges confronting the country.
According to him, only the PDP can provide an alternative and better governance Nigerians are yearning for.
He said that the current crisis rocking the PDP was as a result of power play between some governors because of their presidential ambition in 2023, urging Obasanjo to call on the Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Muhammed to prevail on the governors.
Speaking on the agitation for power shift ahead of 2023, Afiyo said the next president could come from any part of the country, provided such candidate has the competence and capacity to address Nigeria’s challenges.