The Arewa Youth Council (AYC) has disassociated itself from a statement recently published in several national newspapers attacking the 2023 Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
The statement, titled “Arewa Youths Blast Atiku Over Attacks on Tinubu, Say Ex-VP is Bitter, Hypocritical”, was widely circulated on April 18, 2025, and attributed to one Adams Reuben, who identified himself as the AYC President.
Reacting to the development in a strongly worded rebuttal issued on Friday, the AYC clarified that Reuben Adams is neither a member nor an official representative of the council.
The clarification was signed by Ambassador Dogo Shagari, the duly recognized President of the Arewa Youth Council, and Mallam Abdullahi Bilal, the group’s Publicity Secretary.
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The group described him as an impostor whose actions were not only unauthorized but also dangerous and misleading.
“Even though we are not interested in the content of the said statement, we wish to categorically state that the individual known as Reuben Adams is not a member of our organization and has never held any position within the Arewa Youth Council,” the statement read.
The AYC condemned the publication, warning that such impersonation could incite unnecessary political tension and mislead the public.
The group also urged the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant security agencies to investigate and prosecute Adams for impersonation and other related offenses.
Reaffirming its commitment to national unity and youth empowerment, the council emphasized that it would never endorse or release statements capable of promoting disunity, hate, or instability in Nigeria.
The group further appealed to media organizations to exercise greater diligence in verifying the identities of individuals claiming to speak on behalf of national associations before publishing their statements.
“For accurate information and official updates, we urge the public to rely solely on communications issued by the duly recognized leadership of the Arewa Youth Council,” the statement concluded.
