From Fred Itua, Abuja
President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was, yesterday, urged not to betray the North West, which gave him 30 per cent votes in the presidential elections.
Arewa Youths of Nigeria (AYON) that led a protest in Abuja also reminded the president-elect that he’s not known as a “use and dump leader.”
Addressing newsmen at a peaceful protest in solidarity of Abdulaziz Yari for the position of Senate president, the Arewa youths said they were astonished, dismayed and appalled when they read that the president-elect was supporting a South South candidate for Senate president rather than the North West that gave him the highest number of votes.
Zonal Coordinator of the group, Tanko Abdullahi, who was represented by the President of Northern Youths Council, Useni Abubakar, cautioned the President-elect not to allow sycophants deceive him.
He said: “We assure the President-elect that the North West support for him was as a result of our belief that the president-elect is a man who believes that political loyalty can only be paid back with political loyalty.
“We do not know the president-Elect as a use and dump leader, hence we want to advise Tinubu that he should not allow Nigerians to see him from the angle of having used and dumped the good People of North West Nigeria.
“Doesn’t it amount to political suicide to support a South South that contributed a mere 799,957 votes just nine per cent of the total votes to a North West that contributed 2,651,927 over 30 per cent votes to Tinubu?
“We have intentionally reeled out this figures so that the president-elect will know those sycophants trying to deceive him do not wish him well.
“We the North West youths stand solidly with the northern students, women and leaders that are calling for the Senate president to be domiciled in the North West.”
The Arewa youths, carrying placards with various inscriptions, said they would feel betrayed if the president-elect goes ahead to support Godswill Akpabio as against Yari.
The group listed why Akpabio should not be trusted with the position of Senate president, adding that having betrayed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he would still betray the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of his quest for power.
AYON said Governor Yari is not only a trusted man but a man that Tinubu can go to bed with his two eyes closed knowing he is not desperate for power. The group, however, warned that the Nigerian Senate is not an image laundering office but a sacred office.