Arewa group rallies northerners to vote enmass for Tinubu on Saturday

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Agroup known as Arewa New Agenda (ANA) has thrown its weight behind the aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential flag bearer of the governing All Progressives Congress, (APC), urging all northerners anywhere they may be in Nigeria to cast their vote for Tinubu to become Nigeria’s next President.

This position was made known during a press conference addressed by the Convener and Chairman of ANA, Sen. Ahmad Abubakar MoAllahyidi, in Abuja.

He titled his paper: “The North: Vanguard of Renewed Hope.”

The group said Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency would consolidate the gains of Nigeria’s democracy.

“We make the case for supporting Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu; having him as President will consolidate and deepen the roots of shift in the political psychology of Nigerians, that is, rotating power between the North and the South. This promises to have long lasting benefit for national peace and stability, which in turn is necessary for any further socioeconomic progress.

“The quest for rotational presidency (Power shift) can be gleaned from happenings as far back as in 1980 when the country was struggling to adjust to the new federal character provision in the 1979 Constitution, many analysts argued that the formula discarded merit; but elders at that time posit that maintaining peaceful coexistence and sense of belonging in a plural society is the highest aspiration and goal of a nation, and there is no other consideration above that. This is very apt today as then, Power shift and federal character have combined to achieve the same psychological aims therefore, electing Asiwaju Tinubu with majority of Northern votes promises to achieve national peace in the short, medium and long term.”

ANA said it believes in the indivisibility of the Nigerian state, and in the promotion of unity among Nigerians for nation building, hence its support for Tinubu.

“Northerners appreciate the principles of reciprocity, fairness and corporate existence, where one leans his support to the other partner irrespective of his comparative advantages.

“Arewa New Agenda acknowledges that the south has eminently qualified citizens with requisite capacity to be President of Nigeria at any given time; yet, they supported a northerner to become Nigerian president in (2015 and 2019) in the spirit of fairness to cite a simple example. It is therefore appropriate for the North to return the “same favor” in like manner today. The Arewa New Agenda continues to call on millions of her members and non-members alike to see the imperativeness of fairness and equity and cast their votes for Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, because we have seen and touched what he has done, unlike the other presidential candidates that cannot say what they have done but what they will do.”

The group noted that not much will change in policy terms unless the politics changes. Change of politics at this time is power shift to the South.

According to ANA, “At this critical moment, Nigerians are gripped with the fear of uncertainty, un-patriotic elements continue to over-heat the polity causing anxiety, anger and stress; all sorts of negative permutations, fake news, incitements become the order of the day for “fifth columnists”. This state of affairs characterized our electioneering processes in the last six election cycles; at each of these turns, the North will rise up and play the role of the vanguard of a renewed hope by bringing to bear on the electoral process its immense voting power to stabilize the polity by voting wisely for the benefit of the greater Nigeria. This time around the Arewa New Agenda expects no less and suffice it to say that it is more expedient now than ever in this digital Age.”

The group then presented the expectations of the North from Tinubu presidency.

“We are putting forward very strongly the priorities of what Arewa holds dear in Agriculture, Commerce, Transport, Housing, Education, Health, Livelihoods, Peace, Security and economic development. All these give voice to the masses of our people.

“Our objective in this endeavor, is to bring our people together, build bridges between urban and rural areas, bring closer the different point of views which exist in our region. The foregoing represents time honored values like tolerance, compassion, honesty, trust, and pride cherished in the north.”

ANA rejects in strong term the situation where some presidential candidates made myriad promises in countless speeches, “one memorable utterance that stood out among the rest and which gives us concern is that seed of discord sown through fanning of ethnic, tribal and religious sentiments; some people want to benefit from divisive politics,” the group explained.

ANA Chairman also commended the patience and leadership equmen of Tinubu of knowing when to retreat when he was not getting the necessary dividends after assisting President Buhari to power in 2015.

“Finally, Tinubu deployed his position as the undisputed political leader of the West to bring the West into a major national political alliance that wrested federal power from a ruling party for the first time in Nigeria’s history in 2015. Although he did not reap political benefits commensurate with his contribution, he displayed unparalleled patience with the situation, when most other Nigerian politicians (Some of them are in this race) would have used that excuse to change parties as, other repeatedly did,” the group expantiated.

You turned NASS to rubber stamp Assembly –Aisha Yesufu slams Lawan

By Christiana Ekpa

Popular Nigerian activist and social critic, Aisha Yesufu has attacked the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, for saying the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, allowed the Boko Haram insurgency to fester during its 16 years in power.

The social critic also said the All Progressives Congress, APC, had over seven years to tackle the insurgency but instead worsened it.

Yesufu expressed her feelings in a post via her verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.

The Senate President had while addressing the Presidential Campaign Rally of the ruling APC, which was held in Damaturu Yobe State, alleged PDP rally, allowed Boko Haram to fester.

Lawan’s statement was signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi.

He said, “When Boko Haram started in the northeast, in Borno state, the then leadership of PDP said it was not true. There was nothing like Boko Haram, and Boko Haram blossomed. Boko Haram flourished, and Boko Haram gained ground and took root.”

But reacting to the allegation by the Senate President, Yesufu said Lawan turned the National Assembly into “a rubber stamp Assembly”.

She wrote, “The Senate President who turned the National Assembly into a rubber stamp Assembly is accusing PDP when his own party has had over seven years to tackle the insurgency and have worsened it. Both APC and PDP are failed parties that should not be allowed into the corridors of power.”