2023 Presidency: North will counter attempt to deny winner power -NEF

…says North has paid dues for unity of Nigeria

By Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The Northern Elders Forum insisted that the 2023 general election must be free, fair and credible while winner of the presidential election must be accorded power to govern without antagonism.

Convener of the Forum and former Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi gave the position of the foremost northern leaders of thought in Abuja on Wednesday during its General Assembly and event marking its 10th anniversary.

Prof. Abdullahi though said the NEF respect the principle of justice, fairness and equity, it will resist attempt from any part of the country to stand anyone that emerges winner of the February 25 presidential poll.

He said the region respect the unwritten and non- constitutionally stipulated principle of power rotation, Nigerians should be allowed to freely from whichever part of the country the next president through the ballot.

The convener in his address at the event talked extensively on the polity stressing that the North has paid its dues in the country.

Abdullahi said “there is no section of the country that has contributed to the development of Nigeria. The North has paid its dues. The North has rubbed more backs than it had its back being rubbed. Even though efforts of the North have not been well appreciated”.

Stressing that the North has remain committed in talking to others parts of the country and helping them to win election in the overall interest of the country, he said “Obasanjo could not get 10,000 votes in front of his house, but he was elected president by votes from the North. Who brought Jonathan? the North did. Who brought Abiola?, the North did. We sealed his candidature in my sitting room and he defeated my brother, Tofa.”

The South, he said, has taken more years of the presidency than the north.

According to him, for the 2023 presidency, there is no reason reserving the exalted office for any tribe or region. “You have to win election through the ballot”.

Adding that there must not be sentimental reaction to the outcome of the 2023 polls, Abdullahi said “we are hoping that the election will be free, fair and credible and we are warning that if there is any attempt to deny anyone who wins access to power, we will be ready to counter it.

“We are not denying anyone their rights and nobody should deny us our right. We will not allow a situation where anyone that wins will be denied because he comes from one section of the country or the other.

“Without the Northern base, Nigeria will not have foundation and therefore the North should be ready to provide that base”

As a region, the NEF blamed northerners for the myriads of problems in the region which include poverty.

Prof. Abdullahi said he aligned himself with the reasoning of another leader of thought, Alhaji Aminu Dantatta who said challenges and failures existing in the north are caused by northerners .

He said “we have failed ourselves. Bandits in the bush are our children. They come from homes in the North. It is true that about 15 million children are on the streets looking for food”.

“Then we have to decide the way forward with the recovery process which will depend on our energy and determination. The solution must come from us. If we fail to do something now, what will our children and grandchildren say about us?”.

The guest speaker at the occasion, Prof. Usman Bugaje who spoke in the same vein of detrimental position of the north said the north has no reason to be poor.

He blamed the critical condition in the north on inability of leaders to explore enormous natural resources that abound in the region.

Prof. Bugaje said over 40 percent of the landmass in the region remain uncultivated whereas untapped agricultural and mineral resources in the north has financial projection far higher than earnings from oil.

Speaking about agricultural resources, he said “in the north there are over 700 dams to support agriculture but most of them lying idle. Nigeria is the biggest producer of tomato paste in the world. The major challenge is the shift from agric production to processing.

“Agriculture is renewable oil is dwindling. What we can get from agric far more than what we get from oil.

“Shea Butter is a multi- billion dollar industry. But it is unfortunate that the product which abound in the north central part of the country is being taken to Ghana for refining and 70 percent of pharmaceutical consumables are imported from India and China while we have abundant natural resources for the pharmaceutical industry in the north”.

Dignitaries at the event include governors of Kaduna and Bauchi states, Nasir el- Rufai and Bala Mohammed.