March 18: Middle Belt youths criticise Shettima over ‘secret meeting’ with INEC, APC in Jos

A group operating under the aegis of
Middle Belt Youth Forum (MBYF) has criticised the President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima for sneaking into Jos where he held secret meetings with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Commissioner and the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The group noted Shettima’s recent visit, after the presidential election, which he was said to have held series of meetings secretly as suspicious, disdain and contemptious.

Speaking at a press conference in Jos on Tuesday, the Acting National Coordinator, MBYF, Captain Brent Kane, noted that to further accentuate his disdain for Plateau people, Shettima, upon arrival in Jos, went straight to visit Izala Islamic Cleric in the state, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, without paying any respect to the Gbong Gwom Jos, who is the chairman of the State Traditional Council.

His visit sparked heavy criticisms as a result of APC failure in Plateau in the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Forum said:. “We are aware of series of meetings he held with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jos.

“He is planning to rig Saturday’s governorship election in favour of APC, which the forum said would be resisted by Plateau people.

“This insult and denigration of our traditional institution reveals the desperation of APC to Isolate the indigenous people of Plateau from the political scheme of Nigeria and enthrone strangers as leaders over our people, which will never see the light of day.

“All the governorship candidates in the state are proud sons of
Middle Belt and cannot be denied whatever support and solidarity in their quest to govern the state.

“Nevertheless, we state, without mincing words, that Plateau has an identity that is rooted in Christianity, which nobody can deny.”