Arewa youths protest the Senate’s refusal to confirm El-Rufai.
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has requested that security authorities promptly clear Nasir El-Rufai, a ministerial nominee and former Governor of Kaduna State.
The youths warn that the reluctance to ratify El-Rufai’s nomination for appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will put their patience to the test.
According to the forum’s president, Yerima Shettima, the fact that out of the 48 names provided to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, El-Rufai is one of only three whose confirmations varied has embarrassed the youths and indeed northern Nigeria.
“We regret to note that the targeting of Nasir El-Rufai for such heinous treatment is part of a larger agenda being pursued by certain dubious political interests to deny the north and the younger generation of Nigerians fair representation in the upcoming cabinet.”
“It is suspicious that El-Rufai, who is one of the best, if not the best, of all the names submitted by the President, is one of the only three who could not be confirmed without justification.”
“We believe it is deceptive for the Senate to cite security checks as a reason for not confirming El-Rufai because it is widely known that the ministerial nomination list was subjected to security screening before reaching the Senate.”
“At the risk of overstating the case, we can confidently assert that El-Rufai, Hannatu Musawa, Bello Matawalle, and Festus Keyamo are by far the best representation of Nigeria’s young generation included in the list.”
“It will thus be an unwarranted provocation to Kaduna State, the North, and the Nigerian youth if El-Rufai is not confirmed for flimsy reasons,” Shettima added.