Thousands of youths from across the 19 northern states staged a solidarity rally on Tuesday in support of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, describing him as the “Sardauna of our era.”
The peaceful rally was held at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, with the youths singing praises of the Deputy Senate President.
According to the organisers, the rally was aimed at warning those criticising the Deputy Senate President over last Wednesday’s Senate resolution, which allowed tax reform experts to present during the plenary session on the Tax Reform Bills.
During the session, Senator Barau advocated for including experts, including the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Reform, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to educate Senators and Nigerians on the Tax Reform Bills.
The demonstrators carried banners 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.” They described Barau as the North’s most outstanding senator, citing his sponsorship of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) Bill as evidence of his dedication to development.
A former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Tijjani Kabiru Mohammed, noted that Senator Barau had neither supported nor opposed the Tax Reform Bills but had instead pushed for public sensitisation to ensure Nigerians understood the reforms.
