Northern Elders Forum endorses Buhari, says north must produce next president

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) says the north must produce the next president of Nigeria and has therefore endorsed Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential poll.

NEF spokesman, Ango Abdullahi, a professor and former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), said at a press conference in Zaria, Kaduna state, on Thursday: “In 2011, some people including some governors supported the incumbent president (Goodluck Jonathan) to contest. It is disrespect for the party’s constitution and in 2015, they present him as a sole candidate.

“This forum is agitating for a candidate from the north and no party has fulfilled such condition except the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

APC is fielding Buhari, a northerner, against Jonathan, a southerner, who is flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The issue of return of power to the north dominated debate in 2011 as Jonathan was accused of flouting the rotation policy in his party after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

“This PDP constitution hinges on fairness, equity and justice to all and that was what made PDP the greatest and biggest party then. Therefore, I am in a better position to give account of the party and zoning is part of the party’s constitution and must be obeyed. In view of this, Northern Elders Forum will not support PDP in the forthcoming elections.

“I do not see any reason why Nigeria should break up, based on the indicators available at hand. Remember, there are a few selfish Nigerians who had stolen and siphoned Nigeria’s money, and they would not want us to live together. But from all indications, majority of Nigerians want to live together in peace,” he said.

Ango also berated President Goodluck Jonathan for referring to some of the country’s statesmen as touts.

Speaking with members of the Northern Elders Council who paid him a visit on Wednesday, Jonathan lamented that some statesmen were causing problems for the country by their provocative utterances, and likened them to motor park touts.

Abdullahi said: “President Jonathan should know that in a motor park, there are touts and there are pick-pockets, so if some past leaders are touts, some sitting leaders are pick-pockets and thieves. So, you have to make your pick from that.

“This is a country that is complaining about corruption and the President himself has said that stealing is a small corruption. So, for him to even come around and refer to some people as touts, he should remember that some ‎of them sitting there are pick-pockets.”