At least 20 All Progressives Congress’ groups, under the aegis of APC Youth Movement and Development Forum (APC-YMDF) has pledged their support to President Muhammadu Buhari and the military in the fight against insecurity.
The APC youths made this vow at a world press conference on Thursday in Abuja after a meeting of the 20 groups also held in the nation’s capital.
Speaking on behalf of the groups, Comrade Ahmed Suleiman, representing the Buhari’s Youth Emancipation Strategy (B-YES), called on all other APC groups and supporters of the President to rise up for the administration and not allow criminal elements break its ranks.
According to Comrade Suleiman, this has become crucial as “ agents of darkness of late have relentlessly seized the security situations which they have created to come hard on our very patriotic Service Chiefs”.
Among others, Suleiman disclosed that there is an ongoing mass mobilization of groups for street protests and rallies against Buhari’s policies and programmes, especially insecurity.
More worrying, he noted that these same groups is fuelling nefarious individuals and organizations strictly for political reasons to fulfil their evil desires against the president and the Security Chiefs.
Despite all these, Suleiman added that the military has held its own, maintaining an enviable level of security of lives and properties in the country.
As a party, the APC groups expressed total support and appreciation to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen, Tukur Buratai and other Security Chiefs.
It also vowed to defend and stand by all actions, policies and programmes of President Buhari.
Read full statement below
Ladies and gentlemen, today is indeed a milestone for the APC Youth Movement and Development Forum, an assemblage of over 12 groups under the banner of the APC Youth Movement and Development Forum, dedicated to promoting the ideals and developmental policies of the APC administration in Nigeria.
This press conference became necessary in the light of the numerous attempts by some unpatriotic Nigerians to constitute a clog in the wheels of progress in Nigeria through their actions and inactions, which are often propelled by the evil desire to discredit the APC led Federal Government at all cost.
This plot has indeed taken a dangerous dimension in recent times with the thickening of the plan to break the ranks of the support base of President Muhammadu Buhari across the country through acts that are inimical to the overall growth and development of Nigeria.
The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum has noted with dismay attempts by some self-serving Nigerians to undermine the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by engaging members of the APC to carry out rebellion against President Muhammadu Buhari in a bid to discourage him and his lofty ideas in the areas of addressing the security challenges affecting the country, revamping the economy through the building of solid infrastructure and his numerous youths empowerment initiatives.
These agents of darkness of late have relentlessly seized the security situations which they have created to come hard on our very patriotic Service Chiefs who have continued to do their utmost best to protect lives and property irrespective of the level of conspiracy and external support the Boko Haram terrorist and other militant groups in Nigeria have been receiving.
To say that it is the desire by these despicable individuals and associations to destabilize Nigeria would be an understatement in the sense that they have conscripted the services of APC youth groups, APC Progressive groups and other umbrella organizations under the APC banner to discredit the APC led government in the attempt to paint a picture of a disintegrating party to Nigerians.
Their plans include but not limited to the mass mobilization of groups for street protests and rallies against the policies, programmes and administrative style of President Muhammadu Buhari across the country, with particular emphasis on the hardworking Service Chiefs in the country.
The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum is appalled at such brazen display of hatred for the country given the numerous efforts of the APC led Federal Government in addressing the myriad of challenges facing the country.
It is indeed a statement of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated an unalloyed commitment to leaving Nigeria better than he met it through his numerous developmental strides in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
It, therefore, defeats the common sense of why these proponents of violence and evil would elect to plot against the sustainable peace and development of Nigeria for personal and self-serving reasons. The reason though not farfetched is not justifiable under any circumstances.
Using the security situation in the country as an example, the APC Youth Movement and Development Forum is aware that the state of insecurity experienced in some parts of the country is fuelled by these nefarious individuals and organizations strictly for political reasons to fulfil their evil desires against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the country at large.
We wish to state that despite this glaring conspiracy against the efforts of the Security and Service Chiefs in the country, our various security agencies have been able to maintain an enviable level of security of lives and properties in the country.
It is indeed a statement of the fact that the various security and Service Chiefs in the country have justified the confidence reposed on them by President Muhammadu Buhari in their various appointments. They have not only done well; they have exhibited a high sense of commitment to the unity of Nigeria despite all the politically motivated odds against them.
The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum is using this medium to express its support and appreciation to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen, Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu and the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi respectively.
These noble individuals have been working round the clock with sincerity of heart and purpose in thwarting the efforts of those whose overall desire is to set the country up in flames.
Consequently, The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum wishes to pass a vote of confidence on the above-mentioned Service and Security Chiefs and to declare that the APC as a party without attempting to politicize the issues at this moment resolved to stand with the Service and Security Chiefs as this is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
We have also resolved to defend and stand by all actions, policies and programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari and will not allow any individual, group or association to malign the image of Mr President or assassinate the name and character of stakeholders that have been appointed by Mr President.
We also call on all APC Youth groups, support groups and micro-forums not to allow the enemies infiltrate them into blackmailing the administration directly or indirectly by carrying out protests, street rallies or attacks on the Security and Service Chiefs in the country.
The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum is saying enough is enough and consequently advising those with illicit money stolen from the treasury to take same to a charity organization and should not think that the youths of this country will be available for anyone to use in destroying the legacies which Mr President has built-in restoring the glory and honour of our armed forces.
We reiterate that any form of attack on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would not be tolerated by the generality of Nigerians any longer. Nigeria is indeed bigger than any individual, group or association, and this fact remains sacrosanct.
The APC Youth Movement and Development Forum hereby resolved on this date 1st July 2020 to stand united against every enemy of the APC controlled Federal Government in particular and the Nigeria state under the able stewardship of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Thank you all for your kind attention, and together we can make Nigeria work.
God bless you all.