Bomba Dauda
As the 2023 elections dateline gets underway, various political groups in different geopolitics and nationally are strategizing and restrategizing for a better bargain against the previous deals that they feel they were not treated fairly. Southern Kaduna New Faces, a group of young politicians gathered today to discussion their own political future.
According to the Chairman of the group, Tanko Rossi Sabo, the group is “a coalition of concerned Southern Kaduna youths with a shared vision of promoting and actualizing the political, social, and economic interests of our youths across the state.”
In a communique issued after an extraordinary meeting of the Southern Kaduna New Faces on the emergence of Rt. Hon. Isa Mohammed Ashiru and Dr. John Markus Ayuba as PDP gubernatorial candidate and running mate respectively in the forthcoming governorship election in Kaduna State and other related matters held on 1st July, 2022 in Kaduna, the group asked some fundamental questions that bothers on youth exclusion.
According to the group, the meeting was necessitated by the recent emergence of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP respectively, in Kaduna State, members deliberated and unanimously resolved to among other things:
“Congratulate the PDP in Kaduna State, under the able leadership of Hon. Dr. Felix Hassan Hyat on the successful conduct of party primaries into various elective positions at all levels.
“Congratulate the presidential, governorship, and all the other candidates that emerged for the various positions at all levels in the state.
“Accept with pain, the selection of Dr. John Markus Ayuba as the gubernatorial running mate of the PDP. While we do not doubt the capacity, experience, and suitability of Dr. Ayuba for the deputy governorship role, and have nothing against his person, we are, however, disappointed with the process of his emergence.
“Our disappointment stems from the fact that the youths, who constitute more than 65% of the voter population in the state were deliberately relegated and equity and fairness were completely negated, even as we are also aware that the Rt. Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan gave as terms of reference; age, fairness/spread, and pedigree to the committee he constituted to recommend names for the running mate position.
They went further, We are concerned by this apparent neglect of the youths and spirit of fairness, therefore, we demand immediate restitution by ceding nothing less than 65% of the positions in the campaign organization for the general elections to the youth constituency and for the same to be spread equitably across our local government areas.
“Similarly, we demand a revisit of the 2003 substantive power-sharing document signed between the northern and southern leaders of our party as the ONLY condition for the southern Kaduna people’s bloc votes for the PDP in the governorship election come 2023.
“We issue a two-week ultimatum to our governorship candidate and his deputy, the state working committee of the PDP, H.E Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, and other party leaders in the state to implement our demands, failure of which would force us to reconvene and redefine our political future.
“In the interim, however, we assure everyone of our total loyalty and commitment to the goals of winning the 2023 general elections by the PDP at all levels.”
