Youths Want Amaechi’s Suspension Rescinded

Plan protest against Jonathan

By: Patrick Ugeh in Abuja

In the aftermath of the recently concluded Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) election, some youths have asked the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rescind its suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State or face their wrath.

According to a statement received by THISDAY yesterday, the President, Congress of West African Youths and Convener Nigeria Youth Leaders Forum, Mr. Gbolahan Adeyemi, claimed to have mobilised all the group’s affiliate youths and students organisations to embark on protests against President Goodluck Jonathan for his anti-democratic endorsement of the illegality being foisted on the NGF.

To that end, he said they would embark on a massive protest against the president tomorrow.

“As vibrant and intellectual youths, we have deciphered the brazen gang-rape of our democracy by a section of our leadership class and called on the Nigerian youths and masses to be sympathetic to truth, justice and fairness as they march against the veiled tyranny of the present government,” he said.

Adeyemi added: “Having risen from the National Congress of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, we feel restlessly pricked in our collective and individual consciences at the travails of justice and the trampling of righteousness at the highest heights of our national leadership especially at this critical point in our nation’s peregrination.”

He lamented the broad daylight attempt by a section of hitherto respected leaders to hoodwink the Nigerian public on the happenings in the NGF as relates to the recently concluded elections in which Amaechi was “clearly” returned as the Chairman of the NGF.

“It was therefore with a rude shock and utter bewilderment that we received the news of one of the governors, Jonah Jang, who participated in the election... to begin to parade himself as the new chairman of the NGF,” he added.

He said as youth leaders, they were mindful of other developmental issues bothering the polity.

“As youth leaders mindful of other developmental issues bothering the polity, we would ordinarily have ignored the scenario playing out in the NGF as a mere fracas between members of an elite organisation not recognised by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but for the danger it portends for our fledgling democracy.

“We are thus left askance as to what fate will befall our democratic journey as we march towards yet another electoral year, it is on the heels of a vanguard to prevent the rapid decline of our democracy to an abysmal labyrinth of decadent tyranny that we thus resolve to fervently stand for the truth.”

The leaders therefore called on the 36 state governors to resolutely stand on the truth of their actions of Friday, May 24 in which they allegedly overwhelmingly elected Amaechi.