By Mohammed Abubakar and Dahiru Suleiman, Dutse
Hundreds of youths, under the aegis of APC North-West Youths Alliance for Good Governance, yesterday, took to the streets of Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, to protest alleged attempt to impose a Speaker on the yet-to-be inaugurated state House of Assembly.
The protesters, displaying placards with inscriptions such as “New Governor, New Speaker,” “No to Kareka As Speaker,” “Kareka, We Don’t Support Your Speakership Again,” among others, marched from the Assembly Complex to Government House.
The action came against the backdrop of public anxiety on alleged stakeholders’ meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), held in Kano State on Sunday for the purpose of selecting the Speaker and other principal officers of the Assembly.
A source at the Kano meeting told The Guardian that the attendants became agitated, following alleged recommendation that the outgoing Speaker, Idris Garba Kareka, be allowed to continue for the second term.
The protesters, who marched to the Assembly and Government House barefooted, were frustrated, as they were not received by any government official. They shouted: “We are against Kareka as Speaker,” “No to Kareka as our next Speaker.”
Secretary of the youth group, Adamu Muhammad Na Allah Jahun, while addressing a press conference, said the purpose of the mission was to sensitise members-elect on the need to elect individuals among them with a passion for the state and capacity to collaborate with the executive to bring sustainable development to the state.
“We call upon members-elect to resist any temptation, intimidation and coercion by external forces to undermine the process of electing their leaders.
“We also want to remind our elected Assembly members to, as a matter of probity, come up with impactful legislation to move their respective constituencies forward,” Jahun said.
Source: The Guardian