2023: Arewa Youths Support Babangida Over Nigeria’s Next President

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has responded to former Head of State Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s (IBB) statement that he had envisioned Nigeria’s next president.

IBB’s remark, according to AYCF, is relevant and praiseworthy, as Nigeria will elect a young president in 2023.

Babangida has proved his commitment to democracy in Nigeria, according to AYCF National President Yerima Shettima.

Shettima invited other senior statesmen to follow IBB’s lead in naming Nigeria’s next president in a statement he signed.

According to Shettima: “Former President, IBB has proved that he is committed to genuine democracy and demonstrated patriotism, with this proposition of injecting fresh blood into the democratic space of today’s Nigeria. We call in all elderstatesmen to cue behind IBB for the good of this nation”.

Shettima noted that Babangida spoken the minds of millions of Nigerians who have been quietly disturbed by, “the political culture of recycling old, tired citizens as presidents of the nation”.

He noted that recycling old citizens as president was partly responsible for the current stagnation afflicting the country.

“We’re all aware that in terms of leadership/governance globally, the trend is having young, healthy and intellectually vibrant young people at the helm of affairs.

“We’re calling in all political parties in the country to shun the culture of recycling old and incompetent candidates for the nation’s presidency, because the youth will no longer support that dangerous trend anymore”, he said.

He explained that the era of having old people holding the reigns in Nigeria should belong to the past and, “anyone who thinks this stagnation should continue, should perish that negative thought”.

In an interview with Arise TV, Babangida mentioned youth as one of the attributes Nigeria’s next president should have.

IBB remarked this while revealing six other characteristics that the next Nigerian president should possess.