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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A Northern group, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has distanced itself from a publication claiming it endorsed the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, over the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement signed by its President General, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the Forum described the purported statement as unauthorised, insisting it did not emanate from its leadership.
“The attention of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has been drawn to a publication alleging that the Forum issued a statement in support of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, over the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC),” Shettima said.
He added, “As the President General of the AYCF, I wish to state categorically that the Forum did not issue any official statement on the subject matter.”
According to him, “The publication being circulated does not emanate from the leadership of the AYCF and should therefore be disregarded by members of the public.”
Shettima emphasized that the AYCF would not take a position on matters of national importance without due consultation and a thorough review of the facts.
“The AYCF is a responsible and credible organization that approaches issues of national importance with utmost caution, objectivity, and a commitment to the facts,” he said.
“On the matter in question, the Forum is still carefully studying developments and will only make its position known after conducting the necessary consultations and evaluating all available facts.”
While reaffirming the Forum’s support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima stressed that such support does not amount to unconditional endorsement of every issue.
“We remain unwavering in our commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and will continue to support every genuine effort aimed at promoting good governance, transparency, accountability, and national development,” he stated.
“At the same time, our support for the administration does not preclude our responsibility to ensure that due process and fairness are upheld in all matters of public interest.”
The AYCF also condemned what it described as the unauthorised use of its name, warning that it was investigating those responsible for the alleged false attribution.
“The AYCF views with serious concern the unauthorized use of its name in an apparent attempt to mislead the public and undermine the integrity and credibility the Forum has painstakingly built over the years,” Shettima said.
He disclosed that the Forum had begun efforts to uncover those behind the publication.
“Consequently, we have commenced a thorough investigation to identify those behind this unfortunate act, their motives, and any collaborators involved in dragging the name of the AYCF into issues on which it has taken no official position,” he said.
The AYCF President General further revealed that the Forum would seek clarification from the media organisation that published the story.
“Furthermore, the Forum will formally write to the media organization that published the story with a view to unraveling the true source of the purported statement and to demand an explanation as to how such an unauthorised publication was attributed to the AYCF without verification from its recognized leadership,” he said.
Shettima assured Nigerians that the Forum would continue to uphold its principles and urged the public to rely only on its officially authenticated communications.
“We wish to assure Nigerians, particularly the youth, that the AYCF will continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and patriotism in all its engagements,” he said.
“We urge the public to rely only on statements issued through the official channels of the Forum and authenticated by its duly recognized leadership.”
He reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to national unity, saying, “The AYCF remains committed to the unity, peace, stability, and progress of Nigeria.”
