As the 2023 general election inches close, Arewa New Agenda, a socio-political group, has urged the presidential candidates to include in their blueprint measures that would accommodate the north in the scheme of things in the post general election dispensation.
The group’s coordinator, Senator Ahmad Abubakar MoAllahyidi, at a press briefing in Abuja, boasted that North’s numerical strength, which he pegged at 75% of the total votes in the country could make anyone president.
MoAllahyidi noted that the forum will be working with major politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth, women, friends and associates of the north to ensure an acceptable political bargain before and after the exercise.
He added that the north will assiduously work to harness opinions regarding key appointments that will ensure proper balancing and a sense of representative participation for growth and development of the north.
“The North has provided through its numerical voting strength the pivot that ensured the victory of flag bearers from the Southern part of the country.
“Going forward therefore, the north will require to be accommodated (Not compensated!) in the coming governance and service delivery structure of the in-coming administration in 2023.
“We reiterate that 75% of the votes that will make anyone the President of Nigeria will come from the 3 regions of northern Nigeria,” he contended.
Meanwhile, he frowned at the insignia making the rounds that ‘poverty is a Northern phenomenon,’ adding that such a myth was uncomplimentary.
To this end, he said the group would relentlessly spearhead a northern renaissance to change the negative narrative by fixing the uncompleted Agro-allied/socio economic infrastructure like Dams, inland ports, dredging of the river Niger.
He said: “The North in its quest for continuing development must be looking forward to the required environment that will ensure it surmounts its multitude of challenges.
“Despite the success being recorded by our gallant forces security challenges face the north in different communities, the devastating environmental degradation.
“The dearth of infrastructure represented by poor road networks in certain parts of the Northern region.
“The uncompleted Agro-allied/socio economic infrastructure like Dams, inland ports, dredging of the river Niger.
“The spiraling population of out of school children. All these have further aggravated the north’s socio-economic situation.
“No thanks to the uncomplimentary statement made by a certain pundit that “poverty is a ‘Northern phenomenon.”
“This forum completely rejects this sarcasm and will relentlessly spear head a northern renaissance; working in concert with our leaders, like-minded individuals and groups to ensure that north has what it takes to work towards the betterment of its people.”
