…Says, killings in the country a plot to frustrate Tinubu’s re-election

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

A Northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT) has said that it is supporting Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule’s stance that North would work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Governor Sule has said recently that it was imperative for the North to work towards the actualisation of President Tinubu ‘s return bid in 2027.

On killings in Plateau and Benue States in recent times, Arewa Think Tank said political enemies of Nigeria are doing everything possible, including using foreigners to perpetuate the killings in order to frustrate the conduct of 2027 general elections.

In a statement on Sunday by the Convener of ATT, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, the group vowed to work for the return of Tinubu come rain or shine.

“We are in tandem with the position of governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State and by the grace of God we are bringing back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue as President of Nigeria.

“We know that by supporting the second term bid of President Tinubu would be a fulfilment of the promise the region’s leaders made on the matter ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“We trust and believe in governor Sule because he is the Chairman, North Central Governors’ Forum, and we know that the North is not known for reneging on its promise.

“We therefore urge Northern leaders to distance themselves from agitation by some politicians who are bent on causing confusion in the polity just because they failed to realise their personal ambitions.

“Unfortunately, it is the same politicians who sold the Tinubu candidacy to the people in 2023, but are now turning around to criticise the President. Some politicians will always create confusion if they fail to get what they want or achieve their targets. We must say No to such politicians and work for Tinubu’s return to power for the second term in 2027”. The statement said.

Arewa Think Tank said various killings in the country were not only done by local insurgents but foreign actors allegedly entering Nigeria through porous borders, with the intent of dividing the nation along religious and ethnic lines in order to portray Tinubu’s government as weakling.

“We therefore condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria, and we want to blame the killings on foreign elements in collaboration with insiders in Nigeria to orchestrating violence aimed at destabilising our country.

“These evil doers are killing our people, whether Christians or Muslims, northerners and southerners, just to destabilise the country and discredit the government.

“We want to recall that the current crisis have the set up like the build-up to the 2015 general elections, during which former President Goodluck Jonathan faced a similar wave of insurgency.

These killers are already preparing ground for 2027 because similar thing happened in 2014 before Goodluck Jonathan was defeated. We know who they are; foreign elements from the West. They don’t want a stable Nigeria.

“We also condemn the lynchings of innocent people, slaughtering them for no good reason. Security agencies must stop all this and rise up to this challenge. And we call on both State and federal governments to take more decisive actions.

“We call on the federal government to close our borders and stop these foreign elements from coming into our country. “Let’s arrest every single one of them and bring them to face the wrath of our law.

“However, our hearts go out to all those innocent people and families that have lost their loved ones in these barbaric killings. May God console them, protect them, and heal them of the wounds.

“It’s our belief and prayer that the 2027 general shall come and be peaceful with the re-election of Tinubu, God’s willing. Nigeria shall not fall. We shall go from strength to strength and our democracy shall be enduring, and we shall stand as one united country”. The statement added.