Northern Group Charges Tinubu to Wade into Kano,Zamfara, Plateau Governorship Controversies
By Ozumi Abdul
A northern socio-political group under the aegis of Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisah Matasan Arewa) has called on president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on his party’s national leadership, the All Progressive Congress (APC) not to jeopardize democracy.
The group which is made up of 19 branches, across the 19 northern states, including the FCT, made the call on Monday in an open letter written and signed by its president Dr Ali Idris, to President Tinubu over the controversies surrounding the governorship elections in Kano, Zamfara and plateau states.
NYA noted that having keenly observed the unfolding political uncertainties in the three states after elections petition cases, it deemed it imperative to write to the president to prevail on the national leadership of his party, who it said are hellbent on ‘snatching’ power in these three states through what it described as ‘reckless manipulation’.
It warned that such actions if not tackled with fairness and care are liable to provoke and degenerate into wild crisis that can jeopardize the peace and stability of the entire northern region.
The group alleged that the plot to illegally remove the governors of these states is orchestrated by the APC’s national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his cohorts, adding that they are mindless of the harsh economic and political consequences their actions can potentially cause the three state security wise.
The full text of the letter
4th Dec. 2023
His Excellency,
Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
The President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Abuja,
AN OPEN LETTER BY NORTHERN YOUTH ASSEMBLY (MAJALISAR MATASAN AREWA)
Sir,
PREVAIL ON YOUR PARTY NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OVER A CONSPICOUS FIXATION TO SNATCH KANO, ZAMFARA AND PLATEAU STATES GOVERNORSHIP SEATS THROUGH RECKLESS MANIPULATION, AN ACTION CAPABLE OF SCUTTLING THE NIGERIAN DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND MAY DEGENERATE INTO POLITICAL CRISIS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
The Northern Youth Assembly (NYA), a Northern Nigerian Youth platform with branches operating in the Nineteen Northern States and FCT, deemed it necessary to send this letter to you, after keenly observed the unfolding political wrangling in Kano, Zamfara and Plateau States elections petition cases, which if not tackled with care and spirit of fairness, could degenerate into jeopardizing the peace and the stability in Northern Nigerian Region
The plot to remove the current governors of those three states is allegedly orchestrated by your party’s national chairman and his cronies, without minding the consequences that would befall the concerned states, economically, politically and security wise.
Your Excellency, this ugly development is strongly alleged to be a strategic plan in your favor geared towards 2027 election, considering the cumulative votes from those three states that belong to opposition parties
Mr. President sir, Nigeria is already boiling following the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, a unilateral decision you took, and subsequently resulted into unprecedented economic hardship to Nigerians, with more than 80% of the citizens, who could not afford three square meals a day.
Sir, the Nigeria military and other security agencies are already overwhelmed with ever growing security challenges in the six geo political zones of the country. Therefore, creating another politically motivated conflict is not only dangerous to the continuous survival of the Nigerian democracy, but also suicidal to the success of your administration.
Therefore, you should not allow the few politically desperate, greedy, evilly minded and myopic to destroy your integrity and personality in Northern Nigeria, the country and amongst international community, especially as someone who has always paraded himself as a true democrat.
Your Excellency, let us also remind you that, before you came into power, there were already 130 million Nigerians living in a multi dimensional poverty, this terrifying revelation should be seen and considered as a national emergency, considering the enormous dangers the development entails, which is practically a national security risk. Therefore, igniting any potentially driven political conflict in any part of the country especially in the North, is an open invitation to kill the Nigerian democracy, as well as an African democracy.
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Your Excellency, out of the total votes cast, in the 2023 Presidential elections, with a little over 23 millions, you only got 8 million out of it, which means over 13 million votes were cast in favor of other presidential candidates. What this means is, those 13 million Nigerian voters that cast their votes, were not in agreement with your political campaign manifesto or that of your party, but have all silently let go of their ambition to establish a government of their dream, and their silence does not signify an allegiance with your party, political ideology, or the style of the APC administration in Nigeria, having ruled for 8 consecutive years
Your Excellency, some practical and proven statistics has revealed that, since your assumption into office nothing has practically worked towards alleviating the sufferings of the Nigerian citizens, but rather an increase in difficulty, which could be justified by the growing rate of inflation of all essential commodities and services in Nigeria, and an average civil servant can not buy a bag of rice with all his salary.
Your Excellency, another additional 20 million Nigerians have so far gotten into the trap of a multi dimensional poverty, since your assumption into office, and our expectations suggest that, your attention and concentration should rather be on these kind of challenges, rather than using the instrument of Federal Government to suppress and kill the aspirations of the Nigerian citizens, and deny them the right to choose their leaders, as democratically and constitutionally guaranteed
Sir, let us remind you that, more ungoverned spaces are increasing day by day in some parts of the country, and imposition of levy by bandits against the Nigerian citizens is on the rise as well, and there is no much hope for Nigerians on the specific time, the security and development challenges would be contained.
Therefore, the energy of the APC as a party, and as a Government should be invested to tackle such the overwhelming development deficit, rather than conspiracy to snatch the mandate of the citizens, which practically would prove very dangerous to our democracy and co – existence, as one united people
Today, many young Nigerians have become so prone to the influence of bandits and insurgents as potential recruits into the criminal camps of the these notorious and ungodly people. Consequently the dream of the APC as a party to transform this country into a one party system, is a day, as APC Government has not done anything tangible to convince Nigerians, and to deserve this kind of honour
The evil conspiracy to snatch the mandate of the Nigerian citizens in the opposition states in Northern Nigeria, is not a worthy venture, considering the volume of the burden of leadership on your shoulders towards Nigerians, and it is our belief that, you would certainly like your name to be written in gold, not with a black pen, and be recorded in the Nigerian book of black history
Therefore, as a seasoned politician and a leader, your focus should be to convince your political opponents of your ability to serve the country well, that might likely and gradually turn them into your political friends, but not through coercion or use of undue power and influence. To achieve this type of task as a president, you need more friends than enemies, you need more understanding than condemnation and criticism. You should be loved by your country men and women, rather than being hated because of your action or inaction, as well as action of your allies.
Your Excellency, the recent attacks against the Nigerian judiciary, though as one of the most supposedly respected institution in the country, and increasing condemnation against the institution from all corners of the country, damaging the integrity of the judiciary and the Judges, is enough to prove the level of the boiling anger of the Nigerian citizens, against the Judiciary as well as the entire democratic system.
We beseech you to call the attention of your party members now, to let those opposition states be, the number of protests we have been witnessing in many parts of the country, is an indication of bad signals of a looming danger should your party members continue insisting on snatching the mandate of the Nigerian citizens. Kano, Zamfara and Plateau States must not be an APC states before you win your next election.
Your victory in 2027 elections depend on what you offer to Nigerians, but not forceful manipulation of the Nigerian citizens rights. We therefore implore you to rise up to this occasion to put an end to these uprisings which we believe, have been caused by the desperate action of your party members, and you should not let them invite more hatred against your person and your Government.
We are worried and afraid that, these situations could degenerate into crisis in the North going back history lane, and every patriotic Nigerian will agree with us that this is not what we need at the moment, and not even ever.
We finally urge you to ensure that justice prevails and that any attempt to further manipulate the judicial system for political gains is thoroughly investigated, frowned at and dealt with, to prove your democratic integrity
Your excellency, your unalloyed love for Northern people should be the watch word and sacrosanct, as it elucidates your promise to uphold the virtue and dignity of one Nigeria project. Upholding the principles of democracy is crucial for the stability, and continuity of democratic governance not only in Nigeria, but in Africa as a whole.
We trust that you will consider this matter with utmost urgency and seriousness, and take appropriate steps to safeguard the democratic values that our nation holds very dear.
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long live our president
Long live Northern Nigeria
Long live Northern youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa)
NYA
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Ali Idris
President,
Dr. Garba Abdulhafiz Secretary General
Comrade Adikwu Omale Joshua
National Publicity Secretary
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