Northern Elders Forum

By Uzair Adam Imam

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has strongly condemned the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), labeling the group as a divisive force in Northern politics that fails to represent the region’s true interests.

In response to recent comments by NEF spokesperson Abdul-Azeez Suleiman expressing regret over the North’s alleged support for President Bola Tinubu, Matawalle dismissed the NEF’s stance as shortsighted and detrimental to political harmony.

Matawalle asserted that the NEF’s threats against President Tinubu were “reprehensible and naive,” accusing the group of attempting to wield undue influence for their own political gain.

He criticized the NEF for undermining the democratic process and exacerbating disunity among Nigerians.

Furthermore, Matawalle contended that the NEF’s attempts to delegitimize Tinubu’s electoral victory in 2027 were baseless and lacking in merit.

He emphasized the need for constructive dialogue and cooperation to address the challenges facing Northern Nigeria, rather than engaging in divisive rhetoric.

Matawalle urged the NEF to refrain from actions that undermine the unity and progress of the nation, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive political discourse for the benefit of all Nigerians.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has said that people from the North will vote for competence in the come 2023 general elections.

The NEF Spokesperson, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

He added that NEF would support a southerner if it is convinced that he would solve the challenges bedevilling the country over the years.

He said: “We have ideas about what the next president should look like, what is important for the next administration.

“First of all, we need to secure the country. Secondly, we need to ask basic questions about why the economy is failing and what they intend to do. Then, we want to ask what their plans are or what their thinking is about all the clamour for restructuring.

“We want to ask what their plans are for education, particularly the out-of-school children in the northern part of the country.

“What he intends to do in terms of satisfying us that he has the mental capacity, the physical capacity, the intellect, the willingness to tap into the best and the brightest brains available, sensitivity to a number of key issues that are central to our survival as a country.

“Those things are going to represent for us the basis upon which we will support a candidate.”

While reacting to the insinuation that the north will not support a southern candidate, he said, “at this stage, our options are open, we will not vote on narrow prisms like where he comes from.

“We have not said we will only support a northern candidate. What we said is we will defend the rights of the northerners to compete freely and equally with others.

“We will support a northerner if we think he’s the best. We will support a southerner if we believe that he is the best to do justice to the interest of the north as well as the other parts of the country. What is important to note here is that we are looking for the best.

“Three days ago, I attended a very important meeting in Kaduna involving five very important groups. The idea is to design a template that includes the issue of our security, economy, education, and co-existence of Nigerians and then interrogate our presidential candidates very seriously in terms of their thinking and what they plan to do.

“This time, I don’t know what the other parts of the country are doing but the North is not just going to vote for any candidate unless we are satisfied that he has done some serious thinking about what to do about this country,” he said.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has demanded the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over the incessant security challenge bedevilling the northwestern part of the country. 

The Director, Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, made the call on Tuesday saying that Nigerians cannot continue to live and die under the dictates of bandits.

Baba-Ahmed lamented that Nigerians had shed enough tears and blood without an appropriate response from those with responsibilities to protect us.

He added that President Buhari’s administration does not appear to have answers to the challenges of security to which Nigerians are exposed. 

He stated that “We cannot continue to live and die under the dictates of killers, kidnappers, rapists and sundry criminal groups that have deprived us of our rights to live in peace and security.

“Our constitution has provisions for leaders to voluntarily step down if they are challenged by personal reasons, or they prove incapable of leading.
“It is now time for President Buhari to seriously consider that option since his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security over Nigerians. 

“Our Forum is aware of the weight of this advice, and it is also aware that we cannot continue to live under these conditions until 2023, when President Buhari’s term ends,” Baba-Ahmed said.