By Ndahi Marama
MAIDUGURI—Youths/Students Vanguard, a group under Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  has kicked against the purported move by Northern Elders Forum to produce a consensus presidential aspirants come 22nd October.

The group said that with or without consensus, Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State remained the only candidate who can restore the lost glory and sustainable economic development of the country.

The group made their position known in Maiduguri, in a press statement by its President, Comrade Abdulhamid Muhammed Hamma, made available to Vanguard yesterday.

The group disassociated itself from moves by  Northern elders led by Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, pointing out that Nigeria at this moment needed a very young, committed, dedicated and selfless leader like Bukola Saraki.

Therefore, the statement said, other aspirants such as General Ibrahim Babangida, General Gusau and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are not sellable candidates in the North in particular and Nigeria in general.

The President of the group also said PDP Youths/Students Vanguard had been supporting the mandate of President Goodluck Jonathan for some time.

However, he said, with the present situation of the country which was characterised with insecurity, epileptic power generation, poverty, marginalisation and the deteriorating educational level among others, under this administration, the group was compelled to denounce its legitimate mandate and support of the Jonathan-led administration.

The group stated that agriculture, which is the mainstay of the economy of this country since time immemorial, had been thrown into the dustbin, therefore Nigeria at this particular moment needed a visionary leader like Bukola Saraki who in history has set a good pace to the people of his dear state through his mechanized agricultural initiatives, which have helped in providing employment opportunities and youth empowerment, pointing out that if given the mandate, he (Saraki) would still do the same to the people of this country.

On the problem of electricity being faced by average Nigerians under the past years, the group expressed dismay over the government of the day for not addressing the problem despite its propagandist’s promises, and thanked Governor Bukola Saraki who is the only governor to construct and operate an independent power plant in his state.

The statement also noted that President Jonathan is the only president who thinks after he talks, but doesn’t think before acting, this can be correlated to when he openly declare the embattled Nigeria Football Association (NFA) as being banned from participation of other tournaments, without considering the consequences, outcome and the position of the FIFA Law, stressing that as a serious and focused leader, consultations must have taken place before such utterances, and then, thereby retracting his earlier statement in form of an apology or ignorance, which is not good for a ruler of over 150 million people of a diverse nation.