Youths in the northern part of Nigeria under the aegis of Arewa Youths Agenda have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to drop his ambition to contest for a second term in the 2015 presidential election, saying that the return of the presidency to the North is not negotiable.
The youths stated this in a communiqué issued on Sunday in Minna, Niger State by the National Director, Media and Publicity of AYA, Hon. Musa Ibrahim Bere, after a one-day general sensitisation seminar tagged: “Northern unity and peace.”
“We strongly advise President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to toe the path of honour and morality and discard his perceived ambition to contest the 2015 presidential election and concentrate on tackling pressing issues facing the nation,” the communiqué read in part.
It urged all northern youths and eligible voters to come out en masse during the forthcoming presidential election with a view to electing a credible northern candidate regardless of tribe or religion to lead and salvage the region.
“The northerners, particularly the youth, are always called upon to shun violence, killing of innocent citizens and destruction of property: We must see ourselves as brothers and sisters regardless of religion, tribe and state of birth,” the communique said further.
It described the Boko Haram insurgency as worrisome phenomenon and called on the Federal Government to take more stringent measures to end the Boko Haram insurgency, adding that there was no level of criminality that was above the power of the government and security agencies.
However, it regretted that since the inception of democracy, the region had been on the back seat, resulting in negative reports, while agriculture that used to be the economic mainstay of the North and the country in general has been strangulated.
“The northern industries and institution of learning have been systematically grounded by successive government,” the communiqué said.
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