By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
A northern group, under the auspices of Arewa Youth Grand Alliance (AYGA) has warned the President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, to desist from “reckless and unguarded utterances against some leaders and elders including President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar regarding the 2019 general elections.
The northern group was reacting to an interview granted by Yerima where he said that there is “no way for Buhari and Atiku in 2019.
A statement signed Monday in Abuja by the President of the northern group Alhaji Idris Inuwa, challenged Yerima “to come out and tell the world where his political constituency in the whole North? And what are his political values apart from being a manipulative political tool in the hands of northern political rivals who constantly use him for his nuisance value.”
The statement urged Yerima not to be deceived by the euphoria that trailed the ‘infamous quit notice given to Igbos in the North” saying that the inconsistencies and vague choice of words in the said interview have clearly showed Shetima’s ignorance of politics.
“We wish to state here that we are very much aware of his sponsors to discredit two (2) of the North’s finest politicians of our time, President Muhammadu Buhari and Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to achieve their sinister political motives against 2019. As Northern youth and critical stakeholders in Nigeria, we will resist any attempt by the likes of Yerima to use the name of Arewa for a devilish mission.
“Let us warn Mr. Yerima and his sponsors to desist from reckless and unguarded utterances against our leaders and elders who have sacrificed so much for our future. Any further attempt will leave us with no option than to bring out his dossier and make it public.
“However, equally glaring, is his lack of appreciation of the dynamics of the northern region where both the elders and the youth collectively work together on any issue of national significance as determined by exigencies of time. This is not surprising, because this is a young man who is alien to the political tradition in the North, as he lived all his life in Lagos.”
