The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, President-General, Yerima Shettima on Tuesday insisted that Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State was working towards becoming the Vice President in 2023.

Shettima, who spoke exclusively with DAILY POST, made the remark while condemning the governor for saying the Southern part of Nigeria should be allowed to produce the country’s next president.

El-Rufai had said the North had no justification to hold onto power at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure in 2023.

The governor had stressed that the South should be allowed to produce the country’s next president in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.

However, Shettima stressed that the governor was only pursuing his selfish interest.

He maintained that El-Eufai’s comment was not in the interest of the North.

According to Shettima: “El-Rufai is just a governor and a mere politician who is ever ready to bargain for what he feels will represent his individual and personal interest.

“He is probably saying this because he wants them to consider him for Vice President and only God knows the side of the South he was referring to as he did not specify. But he may be saying this because he wants to be considered as a running mate to whoever will contest.”

The AYCF President General stressed that El-Rufai’s statement was not a reflection of the North.

He cautioned Nigerians against absorbing declarations of politicians without proper scrutiny.

Shettima added: “For us Northerners he remains a governor, his decision does not in any way reflect the interest of the North even in Kaduna he won’t get one-third. His statement holds no water and it represents his personal interest.

“You know due to his character of desperation, he is ever ready to bargain and that is why if a politician comes out to make any statement look at it thoroughly you will realise that it’s his personal interest.”

He expressed the belief that the governor was going about justling for the position of the Vice President because he’s not popular in the North, even in Kaduna.

“He is probably going around behind the scenes now negotiating to be Vice President of the country considering the fact that he may not be the popular candidate from the North. If the North is to produce candidates for the presidency, El-Rufai is not among the first 10 we are considering. He has probably realized that his chances are slim and narrow so he is ever ready to negotiate and make it looks like he is more accepted in one part of the country so he is willing to go around side by side whoever emerges from the South.

“I can see his body language that whoever he thinks it’s going to work with is completely doomed so whoever he thinks will consider him to be Vice President is just wasting time and whatever he says does not represent the interest of Northerners and it can never be.

“What do you expect from a sinking boat who has lost the goodwill of his people can’t go for third term as governor, as a result, he is desperate to remain in political office, hence he is ever willing and ready to bargain against the collective interest of his people because he’s desperate to hold the political office of the vice president and unfortunately for him he is not that popular so whoever considers him as Vice President should know his picking a product that is not sellable in the North. El-Rufai is a sinking ship that can only fall anywhere just to survive.”

seunmsg:
Shettima is an idiot who derives joy in creating ethnic division and promoting northern supremacy. This is the same idiot that gave Igbos October 1st 2017 ultimatum to leave the north. Bigots like him should not be given any serious attention. Any northerner that is opposed to the return of power to the south is an enemy of the country. El-Rufai should be commended this time around for speaking the truth.

mrvitalis:

With you wanting south west to be president ...what's the difference between you n the north ?

anibi9674:
If elrufai wants to be vice president, it actually means he is rooting for osibanjo as the president, cuz a Muslim Muslim ticket will not sell. So no tinibu. To be Afonja Muslim no good o

Donaldoni:


Be sincere, do you believe Igbos deserve to have the APC presidential ticket? Why are you not gunning for the PDP ticket?

mrvitalis:

Igbo's like onu ,Joe igbokwe, monster of education ,house spoke person ,ngige and many more deserve the APC

Now to your question do you think south deserve the APC ticket even tho if u take out all the votes APC got in the south they still won ...do you think south deserve the ticket ?

mrvitalis:

With you wanting south west to be president ...what's the difference between you n the north ?

seunmsg:


I’m not against Igbo presidency. If Rochas or Onu wins APC presidential ticket, I will support him 100%. What I’m advocating for is maintaining the power rotation policy between the south and north.

In 1999, PDP presidential ticket was zoned to the south and Obasanjo, Ekwueme and other southerners contested for it. Obasanjo won. In 2023, the two major political parties should zoned their tickets to the south and we should encourage all interested southerners to contest as it was done in 1999.

Donaldoni:


All the above you mentioned are hated in Igbo land for associating with APC. So why should the APC hand them the ticket? The mainstream party in Igbo land is PDP...

South West deserves the APC ticket because we created APC. If APC didn't exist, there will be no talk of taking out votes or leaving them behind...

mrvitalis:

There has never been anything like north zone and south zone ...we have had power rotations in the 6 Geo political zone .....one from south then one from north ...

South west n south south have tested now its south east turn ...if south west contest then what's the point of the zoning

mrvitalis:

With you wanting south west to be president ...what's the difference between you n the north ?

mrvitalis:

South west created APC ...see lies
They are hated by Igbo's yet they won elections ...Yoruba's voted them into office right ?

Your points are not valid try another

Donaldoni:


Who won elections

It was Tinubu's idea that ACN, CPC and other should merge to form APC. So how did I lie

TheApologist:
there's a difference. I personally want an Ibo presidency but I think it is very hypocritical to demand such from the APC given their obvious hatred for the party. It only makes sense for you guys to demand such from PDP which you've shown loyalty to over the years.

seunmsg:


Why did Alex Ekwueme contest against Obasanjo in 1999 and 2003?

seunmsg:
Shettima is an idiot who derives joy in creating ethnic division and promoting northern supremacy. This is the same idiot that gave Igbos October 1st 2017 ultimatum to leave the north. Bigots like him should not be given any serious attention. Any northerner that is opposed to the return of power to the south is an enemy of the country. El-Rufai should be commended this time around for speaking the truth.