The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has revealed its intention in backing any credible presidential candidate for the 2023 general election from any region.
Spokesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, made the assertion, revealing that any candidate brought up through regional or religious considerations will be opposed.
Baba-Ahmed said the current situation in the country does not require a leader produced by coercion or secession threats.
Moves to occupy the Presidency by violence, he warned, are destructive to peace and cooperation.
“We don’t want the president to be seen as the result of ethnic or religious pressure.We don’t want a president who is just accountable to a part of Nigeria’s population. We’re not going to accept that,” he stated emphatically.
“The future president should be elected in a credible election in any area of the country, but he or she must be a Nigerian president first and foremost.”
“Any credible candidate from the region who knows the situation, has the ability to tackle it (challenges), and can establish bridges throughout the country would have support from the north.”
Ahmed said the north is just as concerned about the violence in the south-east as it is with insecurity in parts of the north.
He, however, said the north would not be intimidated by threats of secession ahead of the 2023 election and called on the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) to stop the violence in the region.
“We don’t want organised violence or threats to produce the president of Nigeria. Secession is a bad option for the south-east. It is not in the best interest of this country or anybody,” he said.
“Why should the federal government allow IPOB to strangulate five south-east states? If this administration does not have the capacity and willingness to ask this question, to deal with this problem, then the next administration should do so.”
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