Don’t Play Into Yahaya Bello’s Hands – Arewa Youth Vanguard Cautions ACF

Don’t Play Into Yahaya Bello’s Hands – Arewa Youth Vanguard Cautions ACF

By: Femi Mustapha

The members of the Arewa Youth Vanguard (AYV) caution the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) not to fall victim to the antics of the outgoing governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in his alleged plot to tarnish the peace of the group.

In a statement signed by the National Leader and General Secretary, Alh. Abdulsamad Babayo, and Kazayat Aminu, they say that their attention has been drawn to the plots of Alhaji Yahaya to cause division within the group.

This comes after an attempt to remove the newly instated chairman, Arc. Gabriel Aduku, from his office due to some grievances in the past.

“Our attention has been drawn to overt and covert measures orchestrated by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the outgoing Governor of Kogi State, to mortally injure the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) through the unwarranted attempt to remove Chief Arc. Gabriel Aduku, its Chairman who assumed the office only recently.”

“The Governor’s grouse with Chief Gabriel Aduku, who we understand also doubles as the Acting Chairman, of Kogi East Elders’ Council (KEEC), was the visit to the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa before the November 11, 2023, election in Kogi State to request, among other things, the stepping up of security in the north and particularly Kogi State, which was sliding into a situation of anarchy.”

“The heightened political insecurity in Kogi State, north-central Nigeria weeks before the election, is a fact well known to every Nigerian and should be of concern, particularly to the Arewa Consultative Forum. During the said visit, Chief Aduku also expressed concern about the security situation in Zamfara State and other parts of Northern Nigeria.”

“His visit, therefore, cannot be termed as partisan by any fair-minded person. As Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, the entire 19 northern states are his constituency, and he must consult anybody anywhere in Nigeria to buttress the interest of the constituent parts of Arewa. Or, is Kogi State not covered by the ACF operations?”

“Credit must, in fact, be given to the Aduku-led ACF for the relative security success enjoyed in Kogi State during the November 11, 2023, election. Were it not for that visit and the subsequent intervention of the military, only God knows how many persons would have been killed and maimed in Kogi State by thugs sponsored and unleashed on opponents and citizens by Yahaya Bello and his goons.”

“His grouse, therefore, is that the Chief Gabriel Aduku-led ACF’s appeal for the deployment of enough security personnel, which foiled his plans of causing anarchy in Kogi State during the last off-circle election in the state.”

“In the events after the election, we have also seen how INEC in the state and their official as well as the Election Tribunal Secretary have been subjected to several attacks and threats.”

“We lament how the last governorship was a sham; however, we wish to maintain the status quo since the matter is already before the election tribunal; we shall not delve much into it to avoid contempt of the court but, we urge the Arewa Consultative Forum made up of eminent elders who are also witnessing the situation in Kogi State and other states of the north not to play the ostrich at this critical comment before things completely go out of hand.”

“Given the foregoing, we call on all members of the Arewa Consultative Forum to rise above the divisive manipulations of one man to tear down this house that has taken several distinguished personalities of all ethnicities in Northern Nigeria and different faiths in the region to build over the years.”

The statement also warned that the Arewa Consultative Forum will be sounding its death knell if it plays into the hands of unscrupulous politicians, saying that the removal or attempt to remove Chief Gabriel Aduku because of the governor’s untamed ego will only create a crack in the very fabric of Arewa Consultative Forum, which it may never recover from.

They, therefore, called on the leaders to be vigilant and tread cautiously in their every step and not allow the plans of their opposition to prevail.

“We urge you as elders whom we young people are looking up for leadership wisdom to be temperate, logical, and dispassionate in handling this matter. Politicians come and go.”

“This house must not be made to fall due to indiscretion orchestrated by an irrational megalomaniac. Do not embarrass the Forum and indeed the entire north by playing into the hands of inexperienced youth, one of us who has squandered a golden opportunity to make his mark in life. That would be a blight on the integrity of an august body like the Arewa Consultative Forum.”