Northern elders tag Southern govs’ insistence on 2023 Presidency as “not acceptable”

In the wake of its resolution to ensure the emergence of a Southern President in 2023, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has rejected this position of the Southern governors.

The NEF in a statement on Tuesday, opined that the region will not be railroaded or blackmailed into ceding the position to a particular region in variance with the constitutional right of every Nigerian.

READ ALSO: Southern govs are just like Kanu, Igboho; they’re agents of destabilisation —ADP Chairman Sani Yabagi

Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the NEF’s Director of Publicity and Advocacy observed that as far as the North was concerned, the idea that it would be indirectly threatened or intimidated or blackmailed into yielding an office that ought to be settled democratically is not acceptable.

“We are running a democratic government and decisions over where the next president comes from are basically decisions that will be made by voters exercising their rights to choose which candidate best serves their interest,” the NEF noted in its statement.

Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed also opined that the democratic rights of Nigerian citizens to vote for a candidate cannot be snatched by threats or intimidation.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now