The Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that fought for the nation’s return to democracy is drastically different from the one now leading the country, National Leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima has said.
According to the Arewa youth leader, those of them who were pro-democracy activists in the trenches with the president to enthrone the nation’s fledgling democracy now have reservations about him.
Yerima, a former Youth Director of the political pressure group, NADECO, which fought the late General Sani Abacha military junta in the mid-90s, said that the current policies of the ruling APC administration suggested that President Tinubu has been hijacked by the same “Aso Rock Cabal” as with the previous administration.
The AYCF leader expressed concern over the alleged neglect of youths in favour of the old brigades in appointments.
“Some of us now have our reservations about the President. The Bola Tinubu that I know and that I once worked in the trenches is a totally different person now. I hope it’s not what I am thinking, and I don’t want to believe that he would be hijacked by the same characters.
“I expect that by the coming of Tinubu, certain things would have happened where he would begin to believe in this present generation than the old men of the past who had worked with him and the same people coming back tactically behind the doors. Some of them have a lot of influence on the government. I hope that he will not allow himself to be carried away.
“He should learn from what happened to his predecessor. I hope he will be remembered positively because my prayers are that this present government that I ascribed as ‘our government’ should live up to expectations.
“I have my reasons when I said it’s our government. It is our government because it’s a product of our struggle. Even though I have worked closely with him and recently, from a far distance, I still relate very well to him. I am one of those behind the scenes with my counterpart, Muhajid Asari Dokubo, making statements for Tinubu’s presidency,” Yerima told Arewa PUNCH.
He urged President Tinubu not to toe the same path as his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who allowed himself to be controlled by unelected cabals.
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