Another Northern group, Unified Northern Nigeria Youth Forum (UNNYF), is drumming support for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, to join the 2023 presidential race.
On Tuesday, a coalition of about 40 Northern youth groups had said that Emefiele deserves to be president due to his agricultural initiatives that revolutionised the North.
Addressing journalists, yesterday, in Yola, spokesman of UNNYF, Mohammed Sani, said the choice of Emefiele was based on his track record and to balance power rotation in the country.
A Northern president in 2023, according to him, will widen the division in the country and deny it leaders with track records as the CBN governor.
His words: “Today, this giant of Africa, whom other African countries look up to, is in a delicate and explosive situation, and we are forced to learn from events of the past. In doing so, we must look inwards to find a permanent solution to the challenge of unity in this country, which is mostly that of leadership.
“Nigeria, since its return to democracy (in 1999), has had leaders from two major ethnic groups (Hausa and Yoruba) and, by divine providence, a minority from the Ijaw tribe, but no Igbo leader. To unite this country, and for peace, progress and prosperity, we must produce an Igbo president come 2023.”
Sani described Emefiele as a full-blooded Southerner, an Igbo man by ethnicity, a South Southerner by region, born and bred in the South West, a champion of Northern Renaissance and a symbol of unity.
“We, the Northerners, see Emefiele as our own, because during his days at Zenith Bank, his Personal Assistant (PA) was a Northerner and so were many of his aides. Nothing has changed; he still has a Northerner as his PA in CBN. This is unity in diversity,” he added.
Sani believes that Emefiele, as elected president of Nigeria, will resolve a lot of ethnic problems because of his detribalised nature.
“Emefiele’s knowledge of the economy is second to none. His love for the masses of this country and his concern in securing their future make them feel he is one of them. His policies and initiatives have greatly impacted the lives of the ordinary Nigerian like never before. His investment in the youth has significantly reduced the number of unemployed youths from all regions of this country.
“The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP), Youth Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (YEDP), National Collateral Registry (NCR), Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI), Agri-Business/Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) and many more are there with respect to his initiatives.”
