The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has opposed the candidacy of Ahmed Lawan as president of the ninth Senate, a position that would be filled this week Tuesday. Lawan and Ali Ndume are the contestants.
AYCF said that the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are supporting Lawan for the coveted seat are doing so in pursuit of personal ambitions ahead of 2023 elections.
In a statement by Yerima Shettima, AYCF fingered Bola Tinubu, national leader of APC, and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, as Lawan’s sponsors. “We advise the Tinubus and Elrufais of this world to shove aside any desperate move on 2023 and allow a level-playing field for all political offices.
“No one should hide behind any political party to turn Nigerians into mere manipulable pawn. That will be undemocratic imposition and totally unacceptable,” Shettima said.
“We are happy to inform all Nigerian progressives that we have been vindicated in all the public declarations we made recently on the contentious seat of the Senate presidency.
“It is obvious that the desperation to make the road to Senate presidency smooth for Tinubu’s acolyte (Sen Lawan), Buhari’s foot-soldiers, especially Governor Nasir El-Rufai are coming up with a new narrative to pull a blind wool over our eyes.”
“We see the desperation in the use of intimidation of senators to fall into the booby trap. Let the world know that we, in the AYCF are watching very closely and we will democratically resist this imposition in broad daylight.
“It is now abundantly clear that only Senator Ali Ndume is capable of preserving the independence of the Senate under the Next Level mantra,” the statement reads further.
Photo: Ndume, Lawan