2023: Northern elders: We’re not saving the presidency for any particular region

The Northern Elders Forum, or NEF, has declared that the northern section of the nation is not holding back the presidency in the election for February 25 for other areas.

Professor Ango Abdullahi, the group’s leader, stated this on Wednesday at the Northern Elders General Assembly in Abuja and asserted that the North still has four years to reign before it can be considered equal to the southern portion of Nigeria.

There is no other region in Nigeria that has given as much as Northern Nigeria in terms of sacrifices for the country’s unity, therefore the North has paid its fair share.

“The issue shouldn’t have been that we are not eligible or have no right to contest, and surely this is why we are arguing now that the issue in Nigerian politics must be founded entirely on democratic precepts,” they said.

He continued, “The constitution is very clear that I can run for office 20 times and also lose those elections 20 times, but nothing should stop me from running for office. However, in terms of ‘do me I do you,’ or ‘rub my back and I rub yours,’ the North has rubbed more backs than it has been rubbed.

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“Obasanjo couldn’t gather 10,000 votes in front of his house. I informed the newsmen who usually spoke sarcastically to him that he would become president of Nigeria with the Northern votes, and he did. We got paid back in some way, but it wasn’t recognised as such. In my living room, the North chose to support Abiola over Tofa. These are all sacrifices being made by those from the north.

“Talking about the years in power since 1999 to date, Obasanjo did 8 years, Jonathan did 6 years, which is 14 years, Ya’ardua did barely 2 years, and Buhari is doing 8 which is 10 years,” he stated.

Yusuf Datti Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), also asked this question in his welcome speech. “Why should those who misappropriated public funds be given power?”

Where you perceive the issue, we see the solution, and we have already noticed it, he stated. Armed thieves, terrorists, and bandits cannot compete with legitimate authorities in terms of strength. We were able to create riches, as evidenced by our history and records, and we did not receive funding from the government. Furthermore, we are aware of the best way to transition Nigeria from consumption to production.