Youth representatives of Northern States of the country under the auspices of Coalition of Northern States’ Youths (Southern Nigeria), in conjunction with a Civil Society Organisation, One Voice Nigeria, have thrown their weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party candidate at the forthcoming presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying that although they had so much faith in the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, they have “reviewed and realized with great disappointment that the enthusiasm that propelled us like other patriotic Nigerians to vote Muhammadu Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015 have fallen short of our great expectations”.
The Groups made this known in a press release jointly signed by 19 leaders of the youth group representing each state in the northern part of the country, leader of One Voice Nigeria, and made available to newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital. They bemoaned the worsening security situation in the country and lamented the fact that Nigeria is now ranked the third most terrorized country in the world under Buhari whose cardinal campaign focus was security.
“On the economy, the current exchange rate shows that the Naira has fallen by about 200% from N197/$ in 2015 to N365/$ today. Inflation rate is 18%. The debt burden of the country has increased to over N14trn borrowed in the past three years with no commensurate industries and projects to show for it. This is happening in Buhari’s regime that has increased petroleum price from N85 to N145 per liter. Today, 13.2 million Nigerian children are out of school… Another worse case is that 20.9 million Nigerians have become unemployed as a result of the harsh economic policies of the federal government.”
The Coalition went further to decry the lopsided appointments of the president wondering why Buhari was still seeking the support of other parts of the country which he mostly overlooked in constituting his government. “We noticed that Nigeria has never been so divided along ethnic and religious lines as they are now under Buhari”, they said.
Listing the names of President Muhammadu Buhari’s allies that have been linked to corruption but the president still goes around with them, they wondered why people like Orji Uzor Kalu, Abdullahi Adamu, Godswill Akpabio, Aliyu Wamakko among others are considered saints by the president while those in the opposition are serially persecuted.
The groups further cautioned all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion, against being allowed to be swayed by the promises of the APC which “cannot give out what it does not have. Fellow Nigerians…vote the right presidential candidate, Alh Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party to make Nigeria work again. We are confident that Alh Atiku Abubakar will give us jobs, check insecurity, and corruption, promote peace, unity and infrastructural development in the country,” it concluded.
Those who signed the press release are: Ango Ali (Adamawa), Jibril Maikasuwa (Kaduna), Adamu Audu (Yobe), Mihammed Dogara (Gombe), Abdul Mohammed (Katsina), Abunya Tergu (Benue), Namo Labaan (Nasarawa), Gambo Gwaza (Taraba), Jacob Dashit (Plateau State), Hassan Tanko (Borno), Ubangari Ankali (Jigawa), John Amadu (Kogi), Likita Lawal (Kwara), Abdullahi Aminu (Kebbi), Danjuma Maikudi (Bauchi), Yaro Ado Sanusi (Kano), Mohammed A. Mohammed (Zamfara), Samuila Sadiq (Niger), Abubakar Ladan (Sokoto), and Hon Obinna Ndukwe Ibiam, for One Voice Nigeria.
