By Comfort Olayinka
The Northern Youth Forum (NYF) has withdrawn from the planned August 1 protest against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, opting instead to support the government’s efforts to address the region’s challenges.
After careful consideration, the group concluded that protesting would only exacerbate the situation and hinder progress.
According to a statement co-signed by Comrade Kabir Musa and Dr. Moses Itodo, the group said the Minister of State Defence Bello Mattawalle and other northern leaders are working tirelessly with the government to address the region’s challenges.
The group said they don’t want to undermine their efforts or create unnecessary tension and would rather support and collaborate with them to ensure the region’s stability and development.
“The Northern Youth Forum (NYF) has decided to withdraw from the planned protest against President Tinubu’s administration. This decision was made after careful consideration of the current situation in the northern region, which is still recovering from insecurity,” the statement said.
“We believe that protesting at this time would only exacerbate the situation and hinder the progress being made. Furthermore, we have observed that Minister of State Defence Bello Mattawalle and other northern leaders are working tirelessly with the government to address the region’s challenges.
“We do not want to undermine their efforts or create unnecessary tension. Instead, we will support and collaborate with them to ensure the region’s stability and development. Our decision not to protest is also driven by our commitment to peace and progress in the north. We recognize that the region has suffered enough and that it’s time for us to come together and work towards a brighter future.”
Pledging loyalty to President Tinubu and Bello Mattawalle, the youths said they have chosen to work with the current administration as they believe in their vision and commitment to the region’s development.
“We will continue to support and rally behind them as they work to address our challenges. Minister Mattawalle, in particular, has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to the region’s security and development. As Minister of State Defence, he has been instrumental in addressing the region’s insecurity challenges. We are proud to stand with him and pledge our absolute loyalty to his leadership,” the statement added.
“We also commend President Tinubu for his impact so far, especially in the area of security. His administration’s efforts to address the nation’s security challenges have been commendable, and we believe that he deserves our support.
“We call on other northern youths and Nigerians to support the government and work towards peace and progress. Let us put aside our differences and come together for the greater good. We pledge our absolute loyalty to Minister Mattawalle and our support for President Tinubu’s administration. We will continue to work with them to ensure the region’s stability and development.”
