Nigeria Content Online

The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change has reiterated its decision to continue to campaign for the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

The group, which recently pasted the posters of Mr. Jonathan across the Abuja metropolis, urging public support for him in 2011, also says it will continue its campaign whether the President distances himself from their activities or not.

Mr. Jonathan, who was still Acting President at the time, moved quickly to distance himself from the campaign.

In a draft reply to Mr. Jonathan’s response to their activities, exclusively e-mailed to NEXT, the group gave several reasons for its actions while urging Mr. Jonathan to focus on electoral reform, power and anti-corruption before the 2011 presidential election.

They also deny presidency’s claim that their activities is a distraction to smooth governance.

The group said it was moved to reply following a description of the group by Mr. Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ima Niboro, as a “distraction”.

Not a distraction

The letter reads, “The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change recognizes the right of His Excellency to distance himself from the activities of the movement, given that in truth there is absolutely no relationship whatsoever between the President and the movement. For this reason the movement does not begrudge Mr. Niboro but wishes to refute the untrue import of his remark.

“The Northern Movement for Positive Change hereby makes it crystal clear that it is only those who are enemies of true democracy that are distracting the president and certainly not a patriotic and grassroots oriented organization like the movement which was set up to rescue the nation from the clutches of its cabalistic enemies.”

Furthermore, the group refuted the government’s assertion that it was a distraction which activity was merely heating up the polity. It stated that its support and campaign for Mr. Jonathan were borne out of its genuine interest for Nigeria and, thereafter, demanded state protection.

It states further: “In the view of The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change, only election riggers would quake at the prospect of comprehensive electoral reforms; only kleptomaniacs would dread the government’s anti-corruption drive; and, only the cabal that imports and markets generators would fear the worst now that Jonathan is personally overseeing the electricity sector.”

The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change writes-off allegation that the president is merely doing all these because he wants to run for office come 2011, as utter nonsense.

“Are those who are saying this implying that a president who doesn’t plan to run should just sit down at The Villa doing absolutely nothing but the looting of the treasury? Apparently this is their view of public service. What a shame!”

Agenda for the President

The group also reminded Mr. Jonathan to address the needs of the people of Nigeria especially electoral reform as the Constitution demands of him whether he plans to run for presidency in 2011 election or not.

The letter concludes, “It is the projection of The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change that given the short space of time available to the President before the upcoming elections, it will be enough for Nigerians that he implements electoral reform for everyone’s vote to count. If he however goes ahead to give us light in our homes and offices, and brings the rogues, crooks and pathological criminals in the corridors of power to book, he would indeed have surpassed the expectations of the vast majority of Nigerians and the rest of the world.

“Finally, The Northern Youth Movement for Positive Change wishes to serve notice of its determination to continue canvassing support for the president until he is inaugurated in his own right as president. When 2011 comes we shall see who can prevent the people’s choice from carrying the day.”