The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has appealled to leaders and elders in the country to show maturity and leadership as campaigns begin Wednesday 28th of September.
The Forum who made the appeal while reacting to statement released by Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isuguzoro, which according to NEF, singled out the North as group that defends ethnic and religious politics.
NEF in a statement signed by its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed in Abuja said Isuguzoro was campaigning for Igbo presidency, with threat that Nigeria will not be secure and united unless an Igbo President emerges.
“Northern Elders Forum is shocked at the statement by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide’ as the NEF’s statement reads in parts.
“At a time when wise counsel dictates that Nigerians should be circumspect and disciplined in the manner they interact with the electoral process, the juvenile utterances of Mr Isiguzoro must be condemned in the harshest terms”, the statement added.
‘Mazi Isiguzoro singles out the North as the bastion of ethnic and religious politics while he unashamedly campaigns for Igbo presidency, complete with the threat that Nigeria will not be secure and united unless an Igbo President emerges.’
‘This damaging de-marketing of the prospects of an Igbo President will be hard to surpass. Nigerians, and Northerners in particular, will not be impressed or blackmailed into making choices that are not informed by their own interests.
‘On the contrary, they will notice that the apex Igbo organization is virtually subverting one of its own, and blaming the rest of the country for the postures of political candidates’, Baba-Ahmed added.
While condemning the statement by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the strongest term, NEF said Nigerians, and Northerners voters in particular, will not be blackmailed into making choices that are not informed by their own interests.
“For the purposes of clarity, it should be emphasized that Northern voters will not be stampeded or threatened by Ohanaeze Ndigbo”, NEF said.
Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, maintained that Northern Elders Forum was not in support of reckless statement coming from Ohanaeze Ndigbo. “.
The Forum therefore advised Nigerians to be prepared to support and vote for any candidates of their choices next year, cautioned that the democratic system does not operate on the basis of threats and blackmail.