POLITICS TODAY

The Northern Progressives Forum (NPF) has frowned at a reported endorsement by an obscure Northern young man, Balarabe Rufai and insisted former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari is most competent for the office of the Senate president.
Rufai, is reported to have called on Senator Abdulazeez Yari to “sheath his sword and accept” the puported position of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President.
He claimed to be speaking in the capacity of vice President of a certain Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council.
In a swift reaction , NPF Chairman Nasir Dambatta said the statement by Rufai is as out of place and confused as Rufai himself is.
“First, it is ridiculous that Rufai, posing as public commentator should make such disgraceful unresearched venture as to say Akpabio or any other candidate has been endorsed by the APC.
“Second and even more embarrassing is Rufai making reference to being the former coordinator of the reputable Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) in order to earn some semblance of credibility. We challenge Rufai to explain the circumstances in which he was stripped of his position in the CNG, ” Dambatta said.
The Group insisted that Yari is constitutionally empowered to contest and is the man to beat, notwithstanding the shaky position of such hired nonentities as Rufai, who was just recently rejected at the polls by his immediate constituency.

“We call on Akpabio to step down instead and allow Yari who has been a committed party man, contributed to the emergence of Tinubu with maximum votes and a dependable gentleman over the years to lead the 10th National Assembly. Akpabio cannot be politically trusted outrightly.
“We urge Yari to remain steadfast with his contest and not be distracted by the antics of lame detractors,” Dambatta said.