Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYFC) has faulted the Ohaneaze Ndigbo over its rotational presidency advocacy, saying that such political arrangement is not constitutional and should be jettisoned.
The group said Ndigbo were not in tune with the political reality in Nigeria by insisting on a “contraption called rotational presidency, which cannot be found anywhere in the country’s constitution.”
AYCF was responding to the press conference by Ohanaeze, which rejected the position of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State that rotational presidency could not be found anywhere in Nigeria’s Constitution, urging stakeholders to stick to merit of any presidential candidate as against ethno-regional or religious leanings.
In a statement signed by the National President, Yerima Shettima, the AYCF said the Northern leaders and youths had come a long way and therefore “cannot be intimidated by anyone or stampeded into sheepishly supporting a regional candidate for the nation’s 2023 presidency.”
The AYFC described as laughable the claim by Ohanaeze that Governor Bello was still a student when Nigerians like the late Abubakar Rimi, Solomon Lar and others advised that power rotation should be adopted.
It stated: “Is it not a shame that Ohanaeze is canvassing a 23-year-old mere advice not backed by any law known to party politics while questioning the young governor’s legitimate advice for full democratic process of majority having their way?”
The northern group warned political parties not to zone the 2023 presidency to any ethnic group or region, or abandon the democratic process of producing elected leaders.
