Polls: Arewa youth absolve INEC of rigging, caution CSOs

The leadership of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has said it shall resist forces trying to truncate the democracy of the country ahead of the governorship and houses of assembly elections. The AYCF national president, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, in a statement Sunday alleged that there was a deliberate ploy to distract the Independent National […]

The leadership of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has said it shall resist forces trying to truncate the democracy of the country ahead of the governorship and houses of assembly elections.

The AYCF national president, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, in a statement Sunday alleged that there was a deliberate ploy to distract the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It cautioned civil society organisations (CSOs) against acting the script of candidates who lost in the just-concluded presidential and National Assembly elections and are trying to instigate unrest in the country.

The statement said, “We make bold to say that we are key stakeholders of the current democracy because of our history of struggle to end military dictatorship and sow the seed of civilian government.

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“We are also aware that the forces working against the INEC leadership do not mean well for Nigeria and we are prepared any day to stop them from their destabilisation agenda. INEC must be allowed to deliver on their mandate without any hindrance and we are also prepared to ensure that peace is preserved under a democratic atmosphere because we gave our mental and physical abilities to ensure that democracy is where it is today.

“No one should dare truncate this democracy. Whoever has ears let him hear; we have warned. In conclusion, we commend the doggedness of INEC election officials for delivering on their assignment and reject any deliberate ploy to cause a crisis in the name of unsubstantiated allegations of rigging.

“We urge the civil society to be careful about acting the script of candidates who have lost the just-concluded elections and are trying to engineer thuggery, killings and arson. We all have a duty as Nigerians to be patriotic enough to speak the truth and stand by peace, unity and national stability.”