The North has continued to oppose power rotation to the South in 2023. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had earlier expressed opposition to rotation of the president to the South in 2023.
The Northern Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF), thereafter, reiterated the opposition of the NEF to power shift in 2023.
The Northern Youth Leadership Forum maintained that only a president from the north can fight the bandits in the northwest and Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast and successfully end insecurity in the country.
The NYLF, therefore, advocated that Nigerians should support northern candidate for president in 2023 because of the protracted security crises ravaging the country.
President of the NYLF, Elliot Afiyo, at a press conference on the state of the nation in Yola, argued that “it is only a president from the north that has the needed courage to fight insecurity without stepping on toes.” He maintained that a southern president may not have political will and the courage to fight Boko Haram, bandits and kidnapping without being challenged by northern elites.
Elliot Afiyo acknowledged that the South is endowed with people that are capable of ruling the country but does not have the desire to take power from the North in 2023. The Northern Youth President alleged that the political elites are frustrating the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to end Boko Haram terrorism in the northeast.
Elliot Afiyo emphasized that the defection of Femi Fani-Kayode from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was not a surprise to northern youths. He berated the former aviation minister for claiming that the Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuenyi of Enugu, and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State would be joining the APC soon.
Elliot Afiyo disclosed that the NYLF has been in contact with Governor Mohammed of Bauchi State, adding that the governor assured them that he never at any time discussed any intention of defection with Fani-Kayode.