Southeast Elders Forum didn’t endorse Buhari, says Ikedife

The Southeast Elders Forum on Wednesday denied reports in the media that it had endorsed the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The media was awash with the story on Tuesday that the body endorsed Buhari at its meeting in Enugu.

But the group described the report as untrue insisting that the issue of endorsing any

According to the convener of the meeting and former President General

of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife, “The Southeast Elders Forum held its meeting in Enugu of which I am the convener and the issue of endorsing anybody was not even in the meeting’s agenda and was not even discussed.”

“So, we were surprised at the report in some newspapers that we have

endorsed Buhari which is false. We have not endorsed anybody.

“I can read for you the resolution reached at our meeting which went thus:

“That the meeting supports fully the move by the APC-led Federal

Government to engage in restructuring the polity. We urge that the

exercise must be far reaching and involve a cross section of Nigerians

and not members of one political party only.

“We strongly object to the establishment of Cattle Colonies or Grazing

reserves in the Southeast political zone.

“We urge the Federal Government to be pro-active in stopping

immediately the gun wielding herdsmen who sack communities and

villages in various parts of the country.

“We urge the Federal Government of President Muhammed Buhari to

continue the good job it is doing in its fight against corruption.

However there should be no sacred cows.

“We urge the Federal Government to ensure equitable distribution of

appointments, patronages and amenities in the whole country. This will

help entrench sense of belonging.”

“So, we urge the public to discountenance the report that we endorsed Buhari for second term because even Buhari himself has not told anyone that he wants to contest again.”