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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Daily Independent Online. * ACF
endorses Marwa for 2007 By Sukuji Bakoji Bureau Chief ( and Lekan Sanni Correspondent ( Some powerful ground swell of
support for the political ambition of former It became obvious at the weekend
when he was reportedly endorsed by the Northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa
Consultative Forum (ACF), for the 2007 Presidential race. The people of Gumel emirate in They spoke through their Emir, Ahmed
Mohammed Sani, at an occasion marking the establishment of the emirate 400
years ago. Marwa was the guest of honour. He is in contention for the
�Northern ticket� along with three others: Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
former head of state Muhammadu Buhari and former military president Ibrahim Babangida. ACF said it favours Marwa in order
to give new-breed leaders an opportunity to run the country. He is the youngest
of the four prominent �Northern sons� jostling for Aso Rock. But the backing apparently
contradicts the position taken by ACF two months ago when its Chairman, Sunday
Awoniyi, insisted that it would not support anyone for the 2007 contest.� He claimed then that ACF is a welfare
organisation without interest in who becomes President. In the U-turn at the weekend, ACF
Secretary General, Hamid Ali, pledged its support for Marwa and warned those he
called �old brigade politicians� to steer clear as the organisation will not
support their presidential ambition. He spoke in Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed
Makarfi, fired the first salvo in the Presidential ticket controversy when he
said last week that the People�s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket should be
reserved for the North. Ali, himself a former military governor
of His words: �Let me state here
categorically that the time has come for younger blood in this country to come
together and wrestle power from the hands of the older ones. If you don�t get
up and struggle for it, you will never get it.�
If you wait for the mango to drop from the tree, you will never get it,
because there are a lot of people out there in their 70s and 80s, who want to
catch that mango. �We in ACF have as one of our aims
the empowerment of the youth.� Remember
we set up an organisation sometime ago, called the �Under 50�. �The idea then
was to make sure that we strengthen the position of the youth for the
leadership of this country.� Please
identify with us, get in touch with us, we will be glad to work with you for
the betterment of this great nation.� Marwa, visibly elated, confirmed his
Presidential ambition when he retorted: �If you vote the wrong people and they
steal your money, you cannot blame the thieves, you blame yourselves because
you are the ones who elected them. I say don�t worry, I am on the train, when I
decide to leave, just be sure you are in the station.� I am a firm believer in destiny; nothing can
change destiny.� A cream of high profile
personalities and politicians across the country graced the occasion. Among
them was the Executive Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA),
Olusegun Runsewe. In Gumel,� Sani�
said his people decided to support him because as a former administrator
of Borno and He assured him hat whatever ideas he
puts before them in future, the people would give him their support. The event was celebrated with a
Dubar consisting of about 1,000 horses and donkeys beautifully dressed to
represent different councils and groups. Marwa, on arriving at the city gate,
was welcomed by a large crowd and it took him and his entourage over an� hour to reach the emir�s palace. He expressed gratitude to the people
for �the tumultuous reception.� On his future political plans, he
expressed his belief in destiny, adding that he would depend on the support of
the people for whatever plans he has. He
promised to extend the activities of the Buba Marwa Endowment to the emirate in
the areas of scholarship grants and sinking boreholes. |
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