As the world awaits the proclamation of Nigeria’s ninth National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari by 10 am today, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), has warned against allowing Ahmed Lawan become the president of the ninth Senate.
The AYCF linked the support Lawan is currently getting from some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as related to the secret pursuit of personal ambitions ahead of 2023.
A statement by Yerima Shettima, the organisation leader fingered Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the APC, and Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state, as being behind Lawan’s ambition in a desperate move ahead of 2023.
“We
advise the Tinubus and El-Rufais 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.
The group recalled how it predicted that Senator Danjuma Goje would step down
when he is pressured into submission using his pending case at the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“We also declared that he could alternatively be forced to step down from
the race in exchange for his freedom from EFCC’s hot chase.
“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.
“The Kaduna governor is trying to sell a dummy to Nigerians that the
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has done the needful regarding Goje’s
case with the EFCC.
“And we ask: Which attorney-general, when all ministers have since
resigned? What is the meaning of taking a case that was under investigation by
an independent body, to an attorney-general who is not the judge in the court
handling the Senator Goje case?
“These are questions begging for answers and we are tempted to
assume that the EFCC is about to be hindered from continuing with the case
because Chief Tinubu, who has been pushing Buhari harder, has vested interest
to do with his 2023 presidential ambition, AYCF claimed.
The group, while maintaining that it had been vindicated, emphasized that the
best man for the next Senate presidency is Senator Ali Ndume.
The group noted that Ndume has remained uncompromising, unwilling to dance to
the tune of the new 2023 gang-up.
According to the group, Ndume’s bold stance in this climate of political fire
has been a very rare one.
“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,”
AYCF insisted stressing that it would resist any attempt to impose anyone on
the National Assembly.
It added that it would engage the use of every constitutional means to promote
and preserve the integrity and independence of the Senate by ensuring that its
leadership represents the dreams and aspirations of all Nigerians.