Arewa youths condemn Buhari over use of force against Gov. Fayose

Shetima Yerima

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government following the use of force against the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

The AYCF wondered why a sitting Government could be physically attacked by security agencies of the Federal Government.

It described the situation as an international embarrassment.

In a statement signed by the National President of AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the organization warned that the attempt to emasculate opposition parties in Ekiti had far-reaching implications for the forthcoming 2019 elections and the country’s democratic future.

The youths said they have been following with keen interest the brazen abuse of democratic ethics and principles in the state through the use force against Fayose and wish to declare that:

“It is a smear on decorum and an international embarrassment for a serving governor elected by millions of the poor people on Ekiti to be subjected to physical attack. We condemn this Gestapo style in totality.

“We are disappointed that at this stage of our nationl democratic history there are persons in uniform ready to intimidate people, including the Chief Security Officer of a State in broad daylight, just to please their paymasters. This is an uncivilized conduct, an attack on the Rule of Law and therefore reprehensible.

“We deplore this level of desperation by the ruling APC over an election in just one State out of 36 States in the Federation, while we are approaching nationwide elections in 2019.

“As a people who identify with the promotion of democratic governance in Nigeria, we reject this use of primitive means of impunity and open manipulation of a simple electoral process.

“We wish to issue the timely warning that the attempt to emasculate opposition parties in Ekiti State at the moment has far-reaching implications for the forthcoming 2019 elections and our democratic future. This is therefore objectionable in totality.

“From the series of street protests in support of Fayose, it is evident that the impunity against the governor was very unpopular. It held even in Abuja, the capital if Nigeria. Most importantly one of these protests held in Katsina State two days ago. For this to have happened at the President’s immediate constituency, it was signal that everything was wrong with the APC and police treatment of governor Fayose

“We also wish to announce that as monitors of the nation’s democratic development we are watching, very closely, all the happenings, ahead of the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti State and will support any effort to ensure that the people’s votes count.

“Finally we call on all stakeholders in the forthcoming Ekiti elections to ensure that the millions of voters in the State enjoy the freedom to vote for the candidates of their choice, without any form of intimidation.

“We hope our message gets across to all stakeholders including the security agents and all those who call the shots in the ruling APC. Enough of this unacceptable political brigandage.”