2019: Why Buhari, Atiku Abubakar should not contest – Northern coalition

A Coalition of Northern Groups on Monday in Kaduna asked President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar not to contest the presidency of the country in 2019.

The group said such leaders who were responsible for the country’s downfall should be led by young Nigerians that could take it to the Promised Land.
The CNG’s position was contained in a communiqué issued shortly after the end of a two-day summit which was held at the Arewa House, Kaduna on Monday.

Over 30 groups including the Nastura Ashir Sharif ‘s Arewa Citizens Action for Change); ShettimaYerima’s Arewa Youth Consultative Forum; Aminu Adam’s Arewa Youth Development Foundation; Alfred Solomon’s Arewa Students Forum; Abdul-Azeez Suleiman-led Northern Emancipation Network and the Northern Youth Vanguard led by Joshua Viashman, formed the coalition.
One of the leaders of the group and the National President of the AYCF, Alhaji Shettima Yerima on behalf of the CNG said, “We advise him (Buhari) that we still have people within our generation who have integrity who are very competent and also have capacity to lead.
“We are advising him not to contest but if he chooses to go ahead to contest, Nigerians will go ahead to decide.

“This is our own opinion and advice to somebody whom we feel is a father to us. Anybody above 70 years should not contest.”
“It also extends to Atiku and anybody above that age (70).”
The coalition also lamented the attitude of northern political leaders to the issue of restructuring of the country.
They dismissed both the Northern Governors’ Forum Committee on Restructuring and the Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Committee on Restructuring by the APC-led government, saying that Nigeria neither belonged to the APC nor the PDP.