2023: Northern elders promise non-repeat of 2015 mistake

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) said on Sunday the people of the region would not vote for any presidential candidate based on a narrow prism in the 2023 elections.

The forum spokesperson, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who stated this in a Channels Television Programme, Sunday Politics, added that the presidential candidates would be rigorously interrogated by the people of the North.

Baba-Ahmed noted that the region made a mistake by trusting President Muhammadu Buhari with power in 2015.

He added that NEF campaigned against Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 because they had failed to keep their electoral promises.

The elder statesman also slammed the APC over its arrogant approach to issues affecting Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Northern elders task Nigerian govt on credible elections in 2023

He insisted that the North would not be moved by parochial narrow-mindedness next year.

Baba-Ahmed said: “North will not vote for unserious candidates. We need to ask questions about the security, economy, and other sensitive issues affecting Nigerians. We will rigorously interrogate candidates on their readiness and sensitivity to issues bothering on the lives of northerners and Nigerians. We’ll not vote based on a narrow prism.

“The North in 2023 will not operate in isolation. We’ll act in relation to other parts of the country. This is not about Sai Baba like we did in 2015. We want to see how the interests of Nigerians would be best represented by these candidates. If they can convince us, fine. Any candidate willing to answer questions before and after elections would be rigorously scrutinized. This is about the survival of the country, not a set of individuals.”

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