North will produce Nigeria’s president in 2019

“We want to reiterate and clearly warn that the North will not and will never allow the presidency to move to the South in 2019,” the group said.

The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has said that Nigeria’s president in the 2019 election will be of northern origin.

The group comprises of the national executive committee of NYLF, the state chairmen and secretaries of the 42 affiliated northern organizations, were unequivocal in their demand for a northern presidency come 2019.

Addressing journalists at the weekend, NYLF chairman, Comrade Elliot Afiyo, noted that the North ‘will not allow the presidency move to the South in 2019.’

“We want to reiterate and clearly warn that the North will not and will never allow the presidency to move to the South in 2019,” Afiyo said.

“In as much as we can tolerate or pay any sacrifice for the unity of this country, we remain committed to the North producing the President in 2019. The experiences of 2011 and 2015 still remain afresh in our minds,” he added.

The NYLF had earlier shortlisted and screened potential northern candidates for the 2019 presidency.

    They include the Senate President; Bukola Saraki, former Vice President; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Jigawa state governor; Alhaji Sule Lamido, Kaduna state governor; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and his Sokoto, Gombe, Zamfara, and Borno counterparts; Aminu Tambuwal, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Abdulaziz Yari and Ibrahim Shettima.

Others were Senators Bala Mohammed, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Ali Modu Sheriff and Alhaji Tanimu Turaki (SAN).

Senator Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki (SAN) were thereafter shortlisted and endorsed by the group's NEC during its meeting Kaduna on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

Meanwhile, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will be given an automatic ticket by the party to run for the 2019 election.

Oyegun also said that Buhari’s government has performed very well, adding that his stand against corruption is part of the APC change agenda.