Frontline northern youth group, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum AYCF has backed the letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo where he advised incumbent Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

The group in a statement released earlier today and signed by its president Alhaji Yerima Shettima said the former president’s letter was apt and reflected what the group had been saying long before now.

“Obasanjo is saying what people like us saw from inception. We saw it coming earlier than now. We felt patriotism does not mean if government favours you, you cannot be objective. Being objective means even if it is your father that is doing something strong, you should summon courage to say it is right or wrong.

“To me, I strongly believe that the only way you can show you love Buhari is to tell him the simple truth, which we did long before now but when we advised him how to do better than the previous governments, we were tagged Buhari’s enemy by his blind followers who felt whatever he does is right.

“It is not done that way because, government is like a barrack. Anybody can be there. “This is democracy. It is about the people. Your primary responsibility has to be the welfare of the people. Anything short of that is a total failure.

“You cannot torture people in the name of governance. people are dying because of hardship. If you do that, you waste all the goodwill. The blind followers will follow you.

“We felt that if Buhari fails, it is the north that has failed. We feel the pains of Nigerians. According to him, even though president Obasanjo did not do better when he was in office, his message cannot be ignored.

“It is not because Obasanjo is better than Buhari but the message is Important. Obasanjo is the architect of what we have today. His words are important than him.

“I commend him for his courage. He should have said that before now. The time Buhari should have performed he was complaining. So many people have spoken. Hali Na’Abba has spoken. They cannot all be Buhari’s enemies”, he said.