By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), has thrown its weight behind Senator Ali Ndume for the position of Senate President ahead of the June inauguration of the National Assembly.
In a telephone interview, national president of the forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima said Ndume’s choice represents the collective interest of Nigeria, unlike Ahmed Lawan, whom he claimed will be a stooge for a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.
“For me, when the APC decided to zone the position of the Senate president to an individual, my mind just went straight to one person – Tinubu,” he said.
He said Tinubu is planting his minions in positions as a way of amassing political influence for himself towards 2023 when he would contest for the presidency.
“That is the mathematics. Some of us are students of history, some of us are students of the struggle. With 20 years of experience in the trenches, I know where this thing is heading. That is why we vehemently reject the nomination of Ahmed Lawan as Senate President in totality. It is unacceptable. We will not accept it.
“We cannot afford to have a stooge that will project another interest, not the overall interest of Nigeria, but rather the interest of one individual as against the collective interest of the north. We will not accept it. And that is why Ndume remains the best choice,” he said.
He said Ndume could retain Ike Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president in a bipartisan leadership arrangement that may a repeat of the 8th National Assembly election playing out again.
“The National Assembly represents Nigeria’s national interest, and the senators are representing the interest of Nigeria,” he said.
