Few days after elders and leaders of ethnic nationalities endorsed the presidential candidature of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the youth wings of the ethnic nationalities have also endorsed the former vice president. The ethnic nationalities youths of Arewa, Ohanaeze, Ijaw, Efik, Yoruba People’s Assembly and others, also dared the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the use of mobile phones at the voting and collation centres. INEC had said that mobile phones would not be allowed at the voting and collation centres.
The youths were represented by their leaders, Yerima Shettima, the Arewa Youth Consultative Council; Maxi Okechukwu Isinguzoro, the Ohanaeze Youth Council; Aremo Oladotun Hassan, the Yoruba Council of Youths; Comrade Oweilam Pereotubo, the Ijaw Youth Council; Comrade Enoh Marcus, the Anioma Youth Council, and Comrade Bassey Henshaw, President, Efik Youths Worldwide, among others. Pereotubo, who called on INEC to ensure the conduct of a free and fair poll, stated that the youth would deploy use of their mobile phones to monitor the general elections across the country. According to him, the use of the phones would assist to make sure that nobody rigs the elections. Endorsing the candidature of Atiku for President, he said: “We expect nothing short of free, fair and nonviolent elections in 2019 and we have since commenced the mobilization of our members to support only a presidential candidate genuinely concerned about restructuring of our nation.
The youth leaders also berated el-Rufai over his statement threatening the international community.
While reading out the resolution of the coalition, the President of Ijaw Youths Council, Worldwide, Mr. Owellami Peretubo, said they were concerned about disturbing developments regarding the conduct of those in the corridors of power who have been making statements that tends to create tension and disgust ahead of the forthcoming elections.
“As members of the Ethnic Nationalities Forum, we shall resist any attempt to short-change the electorate in the forthcoming elections. We expect nothing short of free, fair and non-violent elections in 2019 and we have since commenced the mobilisation of our members to support only a presidential candidate genuinely concerned about restructuring of our nation.
Peretubo said they were urging Nigerian youths to support a leader who understands the link between national development and harmonious blending of the diverse ethnic nationalities across the various geopolitical zones of the country.
The coalition also said they were aware of the deep-rooted fears among the electorate about a possible manipulation of the election, adding that the concerns became more rife with the attempt to emasculate the judiciary.
“This unwarranted, Gestapo-style expectedly drew the anger of the international community, notably the European Union, United Kingdom, United States and African Union. The move has ridiculed our international image, creating more doubts about our sincerity regarding the second leg of a civilian-to-civilian transition.
“We will no longer support any leader with less clear understanding of his responsibility to our national currency that will keep the Naira at an embarrassingly weak value level for whole four years, without any sense of remorse.
“We wish to reiterate that the above positions were borne out of genuine concern over the worrisome levels of under development and stagnation of our nation, “the coalition said.
Speaking at the press conference, the leader of the Arewa Youth group that once issued the controversial quit notice to the Igbos in the north, Shettima Yerima, said members of the coalition are bent on ensuring that voters’ right of choice is unequivocally respected during and after the forthcoming elections, adding that they will work with all relevant stakeholders to pre-empt any undue interference from whatever quarters.
He also said the youths were united behind the leadership of the ethnic nationalities in the decision to endorse Atiku.
On the hate statement credited to the governor of Kaduna State, the Arewa youth leader described it as unwarranted outburst capable of igniting violence during the elections.
He said that as far as the Arewa youths body is concerned, nobody will be allowed to use the young people to perpetrate violence during the election in the north.
Also, the President, Yoruba Council of Youths, Aremo Oladotun, said the coalition will drag the Kaduna governor to the ICC over hate speech.
“The statement credited to el-Rufai is highly seditious, treasonable and capable of throwing the entire nation into chaos and we are not going to allow that one man to bring the country into collision with the outside world. We, on our part, will take adequate legal action to report el-Rufai to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and we will not watch him stir the country into crisis with this careless statement,” he said.