[size=14pt]Arewa youths urge Jonathan to run[/size]
Nduka Chiejina 27/06/2010 01:26:00

Nigerian Youths of Northern extraction have dissociated themselves from the loud calls from powerful Northern politicians that the next president should come from the region.

Rising after their meeting in Abuja, the Arewa Youths for Goodluck (AYG) described the 48-man team pushing for the continuation of the zoning arrangement as "toothless bulldogs".

National Coordinator of the group Mr. Kevin Chrisanthus Tizhe told The Nation that they "intend to stop them (48-man pro zoning team) by campaigning vigorously for the candidature of his Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan giving that they all put together have not done anything tangible to alleviate the dreadful poverty in northern Nigeria".

The group accused the pro-zoning politicians of "under developing the region to enrich their families and a candidate among them is saying youths have no experience. They have squandered their chance and generation and are trying to distort ours also".

According to Tizhe "the 48 people they are putting together to fight President Goodluck Jonathan are only doing it for their selfish aim and will never succeed as their gathering is even a contravention of the constitution of the federal republic."

On President Jonathan’s decision to remain silent on his participation in the 2011 elections, Tizhe noted that "being mute on his intention is not to heat up the polity because of the unreasonable politicians from the north. We support that for now".

They however urged Jonathan "to come out and declare because we have a plan on ground to organise a massive rally in the north to press him to declare his intention and believe me, every right thinking person from the north supports our position".

He added that they are watching with keen interest happenings in the political circle especially as it relates to statements and alignment of political forces in the run up to the 2011 presidential election.

The group then called "on every right thinking northerner and Nigerian to ignore them and their group," while also "asking that all necessary support be given the president of the federal republic Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in his bid to solve the power problem and also support him so that he will continue as president of the federal republic come 29th may, 2011."

They further condemned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) zoning formula, describing it as unconstitutional and capable of causing discord and producing incompetent leaders in the country.

Competence, patriotism and good leadership abilities, they argued, should be the characteristics that should determine who leads Nigeria and not regional or ethnic bias.

They described Jonathan "as a very competent leader, having garnered experience as a public servant, as deputy governor, as governor and as vice president and acting president. He is incorruptible and possesses all the qualities that Nigerians want to see in their leaders."

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