POLITICS TODAY

The Northern Youth Assembly (NYA)  has spurned the Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullah Yusuf Ata  over his opposition to the emergence of youth as Nigeria’s leaders in 2019, in the spirit of the “Not too young to rule” bill before the nation’s state houses of assembly.

The bombshell was contained in a media statement by the NYA in Kano and made available to Politics Today . 

The group took exception  to the Kano State Speaker’s open disdain for the democratic rights of the youth to assume the mantle of leadership, beginning with 2019.

Hon. Yusuf  was widely reported to have flayed the idea of youths as leaders for Nigeria,  arguing that  nothing suggests that Nigerian youth were ready to assume any responsibilities in the nation’s democratic space.

The statement also noted: “We want to call on the Hon. Speaker to, as a matter of urgency, withdraw his statements, in order to safeguard the possible tendency of damaging his political image, integrity and respect in the eyes of the teeming population of youths in Kano state and the country at large.”

The group then declared : “The Northern Youth Assembly, as a youth platform in Kano State with representations from the Nineteen Northern States, respects the personality of the Speaker,  however we cannot fold our arms to allow such misleading and uncomplimentary statement against the majority class of the population, its youths, who are also the political engine room of our great Country”.

The group said it could not fathom why,  given the calibre of the Speaker,  he should  be involved with standpoints that seek to “destroy” the political future of the youth.

The statement, which was signed by the group’s Kano State Chapter Chairman, Mustapha Muktar and Publicity Secretary Abubakar Abdulkadeer Dangambo concluded  thus: “We want to assure everyone that, the struggle for the emancipation of the youth from the long political persecution by the accidental political ruling class, would continue, until when the youth assume their rightful position and stake in the Nigerian polity.”

RE: DISMAY OVER STATEMENT CREDITED TO SPEAKER KANO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HON. ABDULLAHI YUSIF ATA AGAINST THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON” NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN” ON SOME MEDIA HOUSE IN KANO STATE

With total dismay, the Northern Youth Assembly, Kano State Chapter, on behalf of other youths organizations within and outside the state, here by condemn the statement credited to the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Yusuf Ata, on some media outfit in the State, against the long agitated effort and the ongoing campaign by the entire progressive youths and development concerned individuals and groups, in respect of the bill “NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN” in the Country.

We want to make it categorically clear that, this can not be accepted and is totally unfortunate.

We want to call on the Hon. Speaker to as a matter of urgency to withdraw his statements, in order to safeguard the possible tendency of damaging his political image, integrity and respect in the eyes of the teeming population of youths in Kano state and the Country at large.

The Northern Youth Assembly, as a youth platform in Kano State with representations from the Nineteen Northern States, respect the personality of the speaker, but however we can not fold our arms to allow such misleading and uncomplimentary statement against the majority class of the population, its youths, who are also the political engine room of our great Country, Nigeria.
The Northern Youth Assembly, will not in the near future, forget such humiliation and undemocratic approach, by somebody like the speaker, considering his personality and calibre in the State, as the speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, with unwarranted implications against the interest of our dear youths, whose sweat and sacrifice, the politicians like him, used to attain political power and authority. His apparent personal sentiment, has not only proved his hatred against the emancipation of the youths, but is also seeking to destroy the dreams of every young man and woman in Kano State, an evil agenda which must be stopped.
We want to assure everyone that, the struggle for the emancipation of the youth from the long political persecution by the accidental political ruling class, would continue, until when the youth assume their rightful position and stake in the Nigerian polity.

Signed:

Mustapha Muktar,
Chairman,
Northern Youth Assembly,
Kano State Chapter.

Abubakar Abdulkadeer Dangambo
Publicity Secretary,
Kano State Chapter.