Arewa youths refute Kwankwaso’s claim of Lagos politicians manipulating North

The Arewa Youths Merger Group has condemned former Kano State Governor, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, over his recent comment accusing “Lagos” of attempting to dominate Kano and the entire North.

Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party in the 2023 election, recently raised the alarm over alleged plans by Lagos to colonise the northern region.

He also spoke on the Federal Government’s proposed tax reform bills before the National Assembly, asking the legislators from the region to reject the bid to marginalise the region.

The ANPP chieftain spoke against the background of the insistence of the Northern Governors’ Forum and even the Nigeria Governors Forum that President Bola Tinubu must withdraw the tax reforms bill already going through legislative processes.

Delivering a speech during the convocation ceremony of Skyline University, Kano, on Saturday, Kwankwaso claimed that Lagos had been and still is the brain behind the emirate tussle in Kano.

He lamented the avalanche of challenges bedevilling the North, including economic crisis, insecurity, poverty, hunger and different kinds of diseases, saying the situation was not good for the country.

“Let me note our situation here in Kano and indeed the entire northern Nigeria. The emir is just being a stooge at this very difficult time, especially in this part of the country (northern Nigeria).

“Today, we can observe very clearly that there are persistent efforts from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country. Today, Lagos would not allow us to choose an emir, Lagos has to come to the centre of Kano to impose their choice of emir,” he said at the lecture.

The ANPP chieftain also delved into the Federal Government’s tax reform controversies, stressing that “Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose taxes and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.

“Today, as we have noticed, even the telephones that we make or register here in Kano, efforts are there to take all the taxes to Lagos.

“Even our sons and daughters who have brought factories, many of them here in Kano and northern Nigeria and even banks, somehow, are forced to transfer their headquarters to Lagos, because proceeds from taxes will now have to go to Lagos.”

He also spoke on the widening disparity between the rich and the poor, stressing, “We have noticed the efforts of some people to make the poor poorer and the rich richer and I do believe this is more dangerous.

“At this moment, I would like to call all our National Assembly members to keep their eyes open, so that they don’t do anything that would marginalise the people of northern Nigeria, especially here, Kano.Related News

“We are witnesses to what happened during the first term, 1999 to 2000, where our members of the National Assembly were bribed, and were treated into collecting huge sums of money to support offshore in this country.

“That law dealt a huge blow to our economy not only here in northern Nigeria but all other states.”

However, in a press statement issued and signed by its National Coordinator, Musa Mujahid Zaitawa, on Monday, the Arewa Youths Merger Group described Kwankwaso’s accusations as unfounded, reckless, and dangerous to national unity.

“Such statements undermine the ongoing efforts to ensure peace and unity in our nation,” the group stated.

“By making these baseless claims, Kwankwaso is jeopardising the stability and security of the region, potentially inciting further unrest,” it added.

The group stressed the serious implications of Kwankwaso’s allegations and expressed commitment to ensuring accountability.

“Through the Inspector General of Police, we call on Kwankwaso to be held accountable for his irresponsible conduct and false accusations against Lagos State and the Federal Government,” the statement read.

“These actions pose a serious threat to national unity and undermine the dedicated efforts of those working tirelessly to maintain peace and unity between the North and South West regions under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” it added.

The Arewa Youths Merger Group also highlighted Kwankwaso’s alleged political ambitions for 2027, suggesting that his actions were driven by desperation.

“We are all aware that Kwankwaso is desperately working for his ambition in the 2027 election,” the group noted.

It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote unity, peace, and progress in Northern Nigeria.

“We urge all citizens to reject divisive rhetoric and fake accusations made by Kwankwaso and work together towards a safer and more prosperous future for our nation,” the statement concluded.