The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has thrown a wrench in the schemes of some elderly Nigerian politicians with presidential ambitions.
According to their leader, Shettima Yerima, this is the reason President Muhammad Buhari should also forget about a second term in office.
In an interview with SUN, he said, “My position is that we really do not need people like Buhari in 2019. It is now clear that the youth would no longer be allowed to be used by any politician any more.
“Anybody above 60 should go and rest peacefully or go back to the farm or do something differently for himself,” he said
“Of course, it is obvious that this government cannot do anything from now till the next one year. Already two years down the line, we have not seen anything. I do not see the government doing any magic or performing any miracle in the next one year. It is not possible because the politics of 2019 has already started. Some of us have been patient enough to see if we can see something different from what has been happening.
“Of all they said about the change mantra, we have seen that there is nothing different and the situation is even worse than what we used to have. So, to that extent, the battle line is drawn. Come 2019, we would no longer waste our time on any old politician.
“The old politician both in the Senate, presidential seat and all that should go back home and rest. They cannot use their yesterday and use our today. They cannot waste their own generation and continue to waste our own. The party is over and it is about a new dawn. Whether you are from the North, South or wherever, we must work together to get it right this time around.
“In 2019, I will campaign that any youth is encouraged to get his PVC. That is their power. Through electoral processes, we would ensure that we render those old men jobless. There is no going back about that. So, my own position is that whether they perform or not which is even impossible, they should go.
“My position is very clear that anybody above 60 years should go and rest. We cannot continue to manage all these old politicians. We cannot continue to be ‘sit down and look’ people. Our ‘mumu is ok for now’. We have younger men who are very competent and would take the country to the next level.
“Anybody above 60 who is against our generation is committing suicide because our generation has come of age and we must stand the challenges. Power is not given by anybody, it is taken and a time has come for our generation to sit down together. No matter our differences, we have to ensure that we move the country forward so that our country can become what it should be and we can build the nation of our dreams,” he added.