Senate Majority Leader Prevented by Angry Youths from Entering Constituency

The Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North), was at the weekend stopped by angry youths in his senatorial district from attending a wedding ceremony at the Emir of Bade’s palace in Yobe State.

The youths, who accused the senator of abandoning them since his election, took to the streets, stopping him from passing through one of the communities, Gasma, leading from Nguru to Gashua.

The senator who had flown into Kano on Friday, decided to travel by road to Gashua, but the youths from Nguru who were not quick enough to deny him passage in their town, alerted others of his trip.

The youths from Gasma community immediately ambushed his convoy, and on sighting the senator, asked him to turn back.

All his efforts to appease the youths fell on deaf ears and when the situation was degenerating, the senator chose to turn back with his convoy which include security detail.

It was learnt that the grouse of the youths was the nonperformance of the senator since he was elected in 2015.

One of the notable youths in Gasma, Buba Isa, the leader of Gasma Youths Association (GMYA), told journalists on phone in Damaturu that the decision of the protesting youths was to send a strong message to the Majority Leader that he was not welcome in his district as long as he is not ready to make good on his promises.

He said the youths, particularly the electorate that voted for Lawan in the March 2015 general election, felt that he had failed the people by living in the senatorial district of Yobe North.

“We did not block the NguruGashu’a Road for Lawan not to attend the marriage ceremony at the emir’s palace mainly, but we wanted to show to our senator that we were abandoned by him and we are very disappointed. He has not brought any federal project to improve our living condition for over eight years.”

He noted that the decision to deny the senator passage through the road was not exclusively taken by the youths but was well organised with the support of community leaders in the senatorial district.

Gasma is a farming and herding community and located along the Nguru- Gashua Road, 190 kilometres North-west of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.