- * Vigorously Canvasses Power Shift To The South
- Endorses CBN Gov, Godwin Emefiele, Igbo Aspirants For President
By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
A coalition under the auspices of Unified Northern Nigerian Youths Forum (UNNYF), on Thursday in Sokoto state, insisted that the 2023 presidency must go to the South and southeast in particular, for the sake of equity to reign.
The group in their concern warned that any northerners contemplating succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari will be doing the worst form of injustice and unpatriotism to the country and her unity.
Addressing a mammoth gathering of youths in Sokoto, the spokesperson of Unified Northern Nigerian Youths Forum, Aliyu Muhammad Sanni, said, their mission is to go round the entire 19 Northern States and Abuja on consultations to implore aspirants from the South, especially the South East, including Dr Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, to join the 2023 presidential race.
"Our coming to Sokoto is to continue our consultations across the 19 Northern States and Abuja to call on the aspirants like a fine gentleman, a detribalized Nigerian, Dr. Godwin Emefiele to actually consider our call, time, and the energy we are putting to move from state to state in consulting with relevant stakeholders who have shown us undiluted support and have voiced out their hopes of seeing Dr. Godwin Emefiele as President of the Federal Republic on Nigeria".
While adding that Nigeria as a nation is being ruled by two blocks, "North and South", UNNYF affirmed that the rotation has guaranteed equity, justice peace, tranquility and brotherhood, hence the need to sustain the same
"It will be a grave misunderstanding and an act of un-patriotic conduct for any Northerner to think or nurse an ambition of succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s be sincere, if we want Nigeria to continue to exist as a single entity, the Presidency in 2023 must be exclusively left for the south. Therefore, all political parties, as a matter of National urgency, should zone their presidential ticket to the south, because Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable, after all, what is good for the goose is sauce for the gander. We are our brothers’ keepers, lets continue to stay like that".
The group in their appeal to northern youths not to allow the greed of the elites to prevail over them as the nation approach 2023, said, "It’s time for the south to produce the next president. Let's support the best among the best from the Southern part of this country who will bring peace progress and prosperity".
UNNYF however stated that there are credible presidential materials from the Southern Nigerian, particularly from the southeast and South-South zones, people like Godwin Emefiele, from the South-South, for instance, is a credible and competent candidate and full of integrity, free of corruption scandal and has no dubious character, which was why he worked with the previous government and the present one.
"This is why we are here in Sokoto State, the seat of the caliphate, to call on the Stakeholders, to join this call and mount pressure on Dr. Godwin Emefiele to contest for president. Nigeria needs him, he is an accomplished man who might be thinking of resting but he should think of the Nigerian masses who have shown him love and are begging him to lead them". NNL.
