Northern youths reject Timi Frank’s suspension

Youths from 19 Northern states have called on the leadership of the All progressives Congress (APC) to reverse the suspension of the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank.

Frank was suspended following the recommendations of the APC disciplinary committee.

The Northern youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Youths (CNY), also issued a seven day ultimatum to the APC to call the embattled spokesman back.

The group said Frank’s suspension shows that the leadership of the party does not want youths to participate in the government.

At their stakeholder meeting in Kaduna, the CNY called on Buhari to look into the crisis rocking the APC.

The youths also said the issue in the ruling party is capable of rubbishing the achievements of the President’s administration.

The youths said “We are of the firm belief that the suspension is not welcome at this critical moment that President Buhari needs the support of all stakeholders to achieve his agenda for the country in the face of the prevailing economic crunch being experienced by Nigerians.

“The Chairman of the party instead of a bridge builder has become the main problem of the party, causing division instead of using his experience and fatherly disposition to bring members together.

“It is also pertinent to note that the leadership of the party has not been fair to the Deputy National publicity Secretary who should by virtue of his position and the constitution be the National Publicity Secretary after Lai Mohammad was appointed as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Instead, there were subtle move to sideline the young man and bring another person in his place, a development we as youth stakeholders in the party are not comfortable with.

“From all indications, we are of the firm belief that the treatment being meted out to Comrade Frank is because he is a young man among elders like Oyegun. This is why we are saying that he must be protected by youths except if the elders are saying the party belongs to elders only.”

“As lovers of democracy, believers in the ideas of President Muhammadu Buhari with millions of Nigerian youths who worked for the success of the party in the last elections, the coalition of Northern Youths want to continually support the APC to deliver on its promises to Nigerians,” they added.

Timi Frank, who has been critical of the APC Chairman, John Oyegun’s style of leadership, was found guilty of anti-party activities by the party’s disciplinary committee.