The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has promised to expose a political leader of the South West who has been engineering violence and arson in order to further his 2023 ambition, if the killings in the area continue.
The group said that its independent investigation has revealed that one South West politician and have associates have been fanning the embers of ethnic and regional hatred and igniting mindless and senseless violence in Ibadan.
The National President of AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, in a statement alleged that his dirty political game is up if he fails to desist.
The group condemned in strong terms the violence, killings and arson in Ibadan, saying that it was improper to punish the innocent majority because of the sins of a few criminals.
It observed, “Much as we condemn all crimes and criminals themselves, we cannot fathom why the action of a view criminals should justify any form of physical attack on the majority innocent citizens and their assets in any part of this country.”
The group added, “All Nigerians are living witnesses to the role of the Northern political elite in stabilizing the nation, using the democratic system of supporting the emergence of Presidents outside the North. Our philosophy of self-denial does not mean, we are not aware of our political strength.”
It noted that when the South West cried of marginalization over the annulment of June 12 polls which the late MKO Abiola was said to have won fair and square, the North rallied behind the South West, by giving their massive votes to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and he served for 8 years.
“The emergence of another President from the North, the late Umaru Musa Yaradua was shortlived but the Northern Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) joined hands with Southern progressives to form the Save Nigeria Group(SNG) that helped paved the way for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan from the South to continue as the nation’s leader,” the group explained.
The statement said that the North’s large heart in giving its total support for the emergence of political leadership outside the North should not be mistaken for weakness, stressing that they cannot be stampeded into surrendering power just because of one man’s blackmail to fuel his 2023 political ambition.
It said the North is never such a weakling and let it be known that Northerners did their best in supporting the emergence of Presidents from outside the region not because of political blackmail or ethno-regional profiling.
The group also revealed its demand from the governors of the South West, notably the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, is to ensure that compensation is paid to the families of those killed and the survivors of the violent attacks.
