Northern Elders say region will accept anyone who wins Aso Rock fairly
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammadu Buhari has again come up for raps from the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for his negligence and lack of political will to tackle festering national problems, particular in the North, the poorest side of Nigeria’s divide.
NEF Convener Ango Abdullahi, a professor, said the North has suffered more on Buhari’s watch in terms of terrorism, banditry, and negligence.
Abdullahi was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Northern General Assembly in Abuja where he warned against scuttling a free, fair, and credible election, as the North will not support any presidential candidate who wins by rigging.
NEF Director General Doknan Sheni disagreed with those saying the North should not contest the presidential seat in this election cycle, claiming it has a deficit of four years, having “rubbed more backs” of leaders from the South since 1999.
But Sheni conveniently ignored the fact indigenous leadership in Nigeria began at independence in 1960 and has lasted 62 years, during which period the North has ruled more than the South, by military fiat and by civilian governance.
“When we believed that … Muhammadu Buhari was a better candidate than [former] President [Goodluck] Jonathan, we campaigned for him and went to great lengths to have him elected in 2015,” Abdullahi recounted in his own presentation.
“When it became obvious that … Buhari lacked the political will and competence to fix the problems of Nigeria and the worsening circumstances under which Northerners lived, we publicly campaigned against his administration’s ineptitude and lack of commitment to accountability.
“In 2019, we vigorously campaigned against his re-election, believing that our insecurity, crumbling economy and social problems would worsen. He won re-election, and our projections were sadly proved right.
“Yet we consistently demanded safety and continued welcome for other Nigerians who had made the North their home, and we will continue to do so.
“We followed national discourses and sentiments and noted how the Northerner was being held responsible and vilified for the shortcomings and failures of … Buhari.
“Yet, no region had ever suffered under any leader than the North did under the current leadership; and no region benefitted from more undeserved advantages than the South did under him. Our Governors and legislators abandoned us.
“We have followed candidates through their campaigns, remaining neutral until we are satisfied that we can justifiably advise fellow Northerners on the directions that best suits our interests as Northerners.
“We have a healthy respect for the rights of all Northerners to make their own choices, and we are sensitive to the huge trust of our fellow Northerners to advise them in making the right choices.
“We have been saddened by the deterioration of the campaigns to levels where region, ethnicity and faith have been made defining characters of many of our leading candidates.
“We have resisted the pressure to follow suit, choosing instead to give every candidate a fair chance to show their characters and potentials.”
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Concern over inciting campaigns
“We have been worried over the alarming and inciting campaigns by supporters of some candidates, some of them explicitly threatening the continued existence of Nigeria, if their candidates lose in a democratic contest,” Abdullahi said, per Vanguard.
“We have advised Northerners to remain calm, and prepare to vote in a peaceful atmosphere. Nonetheless, we must remind fellow Nigerians of the position of the North, these elections must hold and a credible result must emerge from them.
“Leaders who win fairly will be accepted by Northerners, and we do not expect anything less from other Nigerians.
“Our response to threats that certain parts of the country will be locked down and out of the elections is that this is a threat to all Nigerians. We demand that the government of … Buhari and all other leaders and elders must call out this dangerous bluff.
“Those who say they will not accept credible results from the elections unless their candidates win represent threats to national security, and should be treated as such.
“We appeal to all persons with responsibility and influence to lend their weight behind the conduct of credible elections and a peaceful transition. We should also assure all communities that they will be safe before, during, and after the elections.
“We hear of conspiracy theories and other fanciful contraptions being peddled by people in place of credible elections. Let our voices be heard now: the North will not accept any arrangement produced through the violation of our Constitution, and we have faith that millions of other Nigerians share the same opinion.”
North will accept result of free, fair election
Sheni, a professor, pledged the North will accept any candidate who wins fairly as the next President to lead Nigeria.
“Since 1999,” he explained, “the South has ruled the country for 14 years and the North for 10 years. There would, therefore, be a deficit of four years in favour of the North.
“Constitutionally, any Nigerian is free to contest elections. The North will continue to accept any candidate that wins the elections fairly, on the terms of one-man one-vote.
“We do not intend to be intimidated by improper or uncivil utterances or threats of violence, nor will we be coerced to supporting a candidate based on non-democratic principles.
“Nigerians, and particularly the people who love democracy, will not accept any contraption of governance that is non-constitutional. If this happens, it will create an unnecessary fault line that will challenge our management skills.
“Thankfully, there are Nigerians with similar stance and perspectives from other parts of the country.”