A group, the South West Youth Lobby Committee, has extolled the 11 Northern All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors for their decision to support power shift to the South.

The group said the move has laid to rest all speculations of a northern agenda to retain power through the back door or clandestinely orchestrate a process that allows a return of a northerner after the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.

It would be recalled that 11 governors from the North, in a statement on Saturday, announced their decision to support power shift to the South after the end of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governors, while urging presidential aspirants from the region to step down from the 2023 presidential race, said the decision to support power shift to the South is in the best interest of the country.

The northern APC governors further commended their Jigawa counterpart, Abubakar Badaru, for withdrawing from the race ahead of the party’s presidential primary election slated for June 6 to 8.

However, the South West Youth Lobby Committee, in a statement issued and made available to The Star on Sunday by the group’s leaders, commended the northern APC governors, saying the move would end the evil predictions of APC implosion post-primaries.

The statement partly read: “This is the most Honourable and courageous decision we need as a party and nation in the spirit of fairness, equity, and commitment to the stability of our dear nation.

“This singular move has resolved more than half of the anxieties and significantly so has shown that the progressives are not power drunks and are forward thinkers. That the progressives are a people that place the interest of all above the interest of self.

“This move has set aright all speculations of a northern agenda to retain power through the back door or clandestinely orchestrate a process that allows a return of a northerner post the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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“History will bear this audacious statement record. It shall be for generations yet unborn that against all, we had men who stood in the path of what is just, right, fair, equitable and honourable, even in the times where these attributes have been said severally to be scarce in our political circle and parties. Yet again, with the Northern Governors in the APC, history has been made and a good record has been set.

“We the young people of the South of Nigeria, therefore, salute the courage of our governors and leaders for this great move and commend them greatly for being the stabilizing force in this very dire moment of our party choosing its flag bearer.

“We believe that this move is one of the most important if not the only for it will end the evil predictions of an APC implosion post-primaries.

“This effort of the Northern bloc within the party has also made the work easy for the President who in his meeting with the aspirants supported the decision of the northern bloc and also encouraged our southern aspirants to work together to ensure we (as a party) come out of the primaries with a process that unites us and makes us stronger and well positioned for victory.

All of these are moments history shall make a note of and we wish to put on record that the resilience that drives the Nigerian spirit is one that many are yet to understand or unravel.

“As a people we typically come out of very troubled situations stronger and then make the most of our strains. This is what makes the world marvel at our magic. And again, the President as a leader of conscience and as a statesman has yet given hope and inspiration,” the group stated.

The Star