Youths of the newly registered Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) under the aegis of Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance Youth Frontier APDAYF) has condemned the position taken by the Spokeperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi for backing the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF ejection notice given to people of Igbo extraction.
In a statement signed by the APDAYF’s National Coordinator Comrade Inioribo Tamunotonye, the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Najuma Awudu and the Northeast Coordinator Hon. Khalid Ningi, and released to Swift Reporters , the youth group wondered why a man of Professor Abdullahi’s calibre that is supposed to be an elder statesman will align with a declaration that goes against the right of fellow citizens and is capable of causing breakdown of law and order.
“We condemn the unfortunate statement credited to the respected Professor Ango Abdullahi. This is an elder who is supposed to be seen as a role model to the younger generation and never expected to back such declaration that is ethnically motivated and targeted at people from a particular section of the country”
“The most shocking is that his position is coming at a time where there is public condemnation of the action of the misguided youths, whose order does not represent the position of the Arewa community and the entire northern Nigeria”.
“We condemn in strong terms the actions of both AYCF and Professor Ango Abdullahi”.
“We wish to inform AYCF and Professor Abdullahi that the trio of Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, grant every citizen of the World and Africa (as the case may be) the liberty to live in any part of the world. Also, Section 41(1) of the Nigeria Constitution grant every citizen of Nigeria the inalienable right to reside in any part of the Federation”
“We urge the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris to ensure that the lives and properties of every Nigerian are protected and the threat by the AYCF is not carried out”.
“The AYCF must acknowledge that they acted in bad faith, they must repent and embrace proper channel to register whatever displeasure they may have”. The statement reads in part.
The youths of the newly registered party hailed the Arewa Consultative Forum for condemning the ill-conceived order of the AYCF.
“We salute our leaders in the Arewa Consultative Forum for taking a position that is in line with the true spirit of Arewa and the collective position of citizens from the 19 states of the North. We also salute all those that joined their voices to condemn the so-called ‘Kaduna declaration’”
The youths further condemned the call by the ruling All Progressive Congress to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) to register as a political party.
“The call by the APC to both IPOB and MASSOB to register as a party is a confirmation that the ruling party is not interested in implementing policies that will capture the needs of every Nigerian and enhance the unity of the country”.
“As a youth group, the APC’s position did not come to us as a surprise. It has always been the position of Nigerians that the ruling party has nothing to offer Nigerians”.
“We urge every Nigerian of voting age to take advantage of the ongoing Voters registration and arm themselves with their voters card so as to kick out the APC at all level and vote in APDA, the only political party whose mission is to meet the yearnings of Nigerians irrespective of ethnicity”.
Earlier today, Professor Ango Abdullahi had thrown his weight behind the order given to Igbos residing in the 19 Northern states and FCT, calling the Igbos as “ingrates”.
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