By Chukwu David, Abuja and Mohammed Kabir

Youths from across the 19 Northern States yesterday staged a solidarity rally in support of Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin for his position on President Bola Tinubu’s much-criticised Tax Reform Bills, describing him as the “Sardauna of our era”.

According to them, the rally was organised to warn those attacking Barau over the Senate’s resolution on the bills last Wednesday.

Barau presided over the plenary when the lawmakers passed a resolution to allow tax reform experts access to the chamber of the Senate to make presentations during plenary on the Tax Reform Bills.

The Deputy Senate President said the experts, including the Presidential Committee on Tax Reform Chairman Taiwo Oyedele, should be allowed to educate the Senators and Nigerians on the bills.

The banners-carrying youths with inscriptions such as: “Senator Barau: The Sardauna of our era”,” Senator Barau is the new leader of the North”, “ Stop attacking Senator Barau”, “ Leave Senator Barau alone”, and “ Senator Barau: The pro-masses lawmaker”, defended Barau.

According to them, he remains the best Senator from the North, given his sponsorship of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) Bill. Ex-National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) President Tijjani Mohammed said Barau neither supported nor kicked against the bills.