Arewa Youths Say No To Jonathan Rally - Youth Leader, Tafida, Escapes Lynching - At Pro-Jonathan 2015 YOUTHS from the 19 Northern states who converged in Kaduna at the weekend, clashed over a pro-Jonathan rally for the 2015 Presidency as thousands of the aggrieved protesters opposed his candidacy. The rally, which was organised by a coalition of Northern youths, under the auspices of the Northern Youth Forum (NYF), drew representatives from the 19 Northern states, as they converged at the Murtala Square where the officials had planned to drum up support for Jonathan. However, trouble ensued when the National Chairman of NYF, Alhaji Jibrin Tafida, delivered an address asking the youths in the North to support Jonathan for the 2015 Presidency, as he would transform the region. The address by Tafida drew the anger of the youths who chanted, “No! No! No!” interrupting him midway. But, Tafida continued: “Politics is not madness. If you want votes, you must solicit for it peacefully. We have opened discussion with President Jonathan and whoever has any complaint should come forward. We won’t say we are opting out of politics. Politics is not played that way and it is not democratic.” Tarfida could hardly end his speech when some youths attempted to attack him. But armed policemen whisked him away from the venue in a black jeep. The irate youths then began to throw stones and other objects indiscriminately, forcing the crowd to disperse, as armed security men took over the arena to prevent further breakdown of law and order. Meanwhile, the leaders of youths from other states in the north had earlier delivered goodwill messages, while avoiding drumming support for President Jonathan. One of the youth delegate from Katsina, Mallam Nura Ahmed told journalists, “we thought we have been invited here to support our elders in the North against the marginalisation of the North by President Jonathan” “You can see that this is the reason for all this protest. And this is to also tell us that the North is not in his support for 2015. Isha Allah the Presidency must come back to the north.”
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 08:44:51 +0000