Arewa Youth Leader: We’re prepared to stop Buhari’s 2nd term bid
President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Shettima Yerima, has disclosed ATCF is fully prepared to stop President Muhammdu Buhari, who has declared his interest to run for a second term saying the president will be humiliated at the poll.
Speaking journalist, Yerima noted that some failed governors, ministers and Buhari’s kitchen cabinet are mounting pressure on him to go on in order for them to be relevant and be in control of the nation.
In his words, "we have expected this and we have already prepared for him. We are ensuring that every Nigerian youth obtains his or her voter’s card. We will ensure that we secure our votes and our votes count. We didn’t expect him to say that he was not going to contest. This is democracy and no one can deny him the right to contest.
"He had admitted that he ought to have been doing something better than he is doing, but age and ill health have actually overtaken a lot of things in him. So, we were thinking that, as a man with integrity; a man who had said he would only go for one term, should understand that he would be under pressure put on him by his cabinet members and governors, who have failed and want to use him to be relevant."
The youth leader continued, "Because of the president’s age, and health, these people want to control Nigeria, and they have to pressure him in order for them to remain in power.
"Since he has made up his mind, there is no problem, but we are going to ensure that he fails when the time comes."
Refuting the claim that he has axe to grind in the matter, Yerima said "It has nothing to do with appointments. Anybody who knows me from onset will testify that I have never looked for an appointment, I’m not a government contractor, but I stand on the path of righteousness, and that I would be remembered for even after death.
"If something is right, it is right and if it is wrong, it is wrong. I don’t have grudges against the president. One, he is a father to me, I have known him personally; I have worked with him and we have a relationship like father and son for a long time from 2003, and there is no doubt that he is like a father to me.
"My position doesn’t have any personal grudge against him, it is about Nigeria, and I do not imagine that after all the years we have spent in the trenches, and putting my life in the fight against injustice, and all of a sudden, we have some characters, who have not paid any dues or made any sacrifices trying to undermine our democracy we have fought for. I’m worried about that.
"If for instance, President Buhari has a cabinet made up of patriotic Nigerians, who are ready to work, and he dictates what goes on, we wouldn’t have problems, but not when he is not in charge of the government and some people took advantage of his weaknesses and start mismanaging Nigeria. This is deceitful and it can’t be allowed to continue. I have nothing personal against the president. Anybody who knows my record from Obasanjo’s regime, to Yar’Adua and to Jonathan will attest that I have been consistent. I criticise any government that implements anti-people policy in the best interest of the country. Where the government does well, I commend it," he said.
Alhaji Shettima Yerima
Speaking journalist, Yerima noted that some failed governors, ministers and Buhari’s kitchen cabinet are mounting pressure on him to go on in order for them to be relevant and be in control of the nation.
In his words, "we have expected this and we have already prepared for him. We are ensuring that every Nigerian youth obtains his or her voter’s card. We will ensure that we secure our votes and our votes count. We didn’t expect him to say that he was not going to contest. This is democracy and no one can deny him the right to contest.
"He had admitted that he ought to have been doing something better than he is doing, but age and ill health have actually overtaken a lot of things in him. So, we were thinking that, as a man with integrity; a man who had said he would only go for one term, should understand that he would be under pressure put on him by his cabinet members and governors, who have failed and want to use him to be relevant."
The youth leader continued, "Because of the president’s age, and health, these people want to control Nigeria, and they have to pressure him in order for them to remain in power.
"Since he has made up his mind, there is no problem, but we are going to ensure that he fails when the time comes."
Refuting the claim that he has axe to grind in the matter, Yerima said "It has nothing to do with appointments. Anybody who knows me from onset will testify that I have never looked for an appointment, I’m not a government contractor, but I stand on the path of righteousness, and that I would be remembered for even after death.
"If something is right, it is right and if it is wrong, it is wrong. I don’t have grudges against the president. One, he is a father to me, I have known him personally; I have worked with him and we have a relationship like father and son for a long time from 2003, and there is no doubt that he is like a father to me.
"My position doesn’t have any personal grudge against him, it is about Nigeria, and I do not imagine that after all the years we have spent in the trenches, and putting my life in the fight against injustice, and all of a sudden, we have some characters, who have not paid any dues or made any sacrifices trying to undermine our democracy we have fought for. I’m worried about that.
"If for instance, President Buhari has a cabinet made up of patriotic Nigerians, who are ready to work, and he dictates what goes on, we wouldn’t have problems, but not when he is not in charge of the government and some people took advantage of his weaknesses and start mismanaging Nigeria. This is deceitful and it can’t be allowed to continue. I have nothing personal against the president. Anybody who knows my record from Obasanjo’s regime, to Yar’Adua and to Jonathan will attest that I have been consistent. I criticise any government that implements anti-people policy in the best interest of the country. Where the government does well, I commend it," he said.
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