Shettima blasts Atiku, says north is waiting for how Igbo will make him president in 2019

- The president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima has warned former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar against calling northern leaders lazy

- Atiku had called some northern leaders lazy for speaking against restructuring of Nigeria

- He also said that Atiku’s comment was informed by his ambition to become Nigeria’s president

The president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima has warned the former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar not to be blindfolded by his 2019 presidential ambition.

New Telegraph reports that Shettima made the comments in reaction to statement credited to the ex-vice president that northern leaders were lazy for speaking against restructuring of Nigeria.

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Legit.ng gathered that Shettima noted that the region would be watching Igbo would make Atiku president in 2019.

He said: “Northern leaders are not lazy and the north is not lazy. We are known to be hardworking people. We are known to be people, who are patient and cultured. We are cultured by training, religion and the way we see things in our belief and quest for one nation does not mean that we are lazy.

“Atiku Abubakar should not be blindfolded by his ambition and desperation. When the time comes, he will know that we are people who cannot accept any insult or abuse on our collective sensibility. Nobody should play politics or use his ambition to overrule his sense of reasoning.

"It is uncalled for and terrible for him to make that statement and generalise it. We are watching; let us see if the Igbo will make him president.

“He has come out to call us all sorts of names and we are watching; maybe he is doing that because he is sure that when the Igbo back him; he will get what he wants. We are watching; 2019 is around the corner.

“Atiku’s statement was basically because of his political aspiration and ambition. We are watching him. And if he calls us lazy people, we would also remind him that he had opportunity to make north better, when he was vice president for eight years, but he cannot show anything on ground he did for us.

“Atiku failed the north; he has not empowered people as regards to our collective agenda and collective interest, but only succeeded in making few individuals. That he supported few individuals and made them whom they are is not enough to assume that he has done things in the collective interest of the North.

“The north is not against restructuring but we are saying that don’t because of politics and personal interest drag us into an unnecessary arrangement. We are even more in need of restructuring but we are saying it is ill timed.

“The unity of the country is being threatened and a lot of things are not normal as we are running from one trouble and challenges to another. We are saying that we should wait after the next elections and see whether the manifesto of those who want to contest will include restructuring.

“How can we embark on any restructuring now when the tenure of the incumbent government is about to end? Why can’t we wait after the election? With a new government, we can start thinking about restructuring and it will be our priority and agenda to get it right.

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“Even though we are going to embark on restructuring, is it the same men of yesteryears who were at the helms of affairs in the 60s that took us from regional government to the federal system of government, who will lead us to restructuring. Are they the same people that will determine our future for us?

“Even if there is going to be any restructuring; it should not be by men of yesteryears. It should be by the younger generation. The men of yesteryears have failed their generation and they still want to come again and put our generation into another trouble. This is unacceptable and we will not accept it. It is purely the business of the younger generation and we will do it.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Junaid Mohammed who is a second republic lawmaker lashed out at Atiku Abubakar and described him as a nonentity who is not genuinely interested in restructuring.

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Source: Legit.ng