April 24, (THEWILL) – The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has dissociated itself from the entire process that shortlisted former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, as consensus presidential candidates of the zone for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
THEWILL earlier reported that the Northern Leaders in a communiqué signed by former Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, had on Friday shortlisted former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, as two leading presidential aspirants to represent the zone in the PDP presidential primary.
Prof. Abdullahi had said that four PDP presidential aspirants, including Saraki, Mohammed; Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal and the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen, submitted themselves for the drive towards a consensus candidate.
The Northern leaders had said their decision on Saraki and Bala Mohammed was arrived at, based on certain criteria adopted in the assessment of the four aspirants who submitted themselves for the exercise.
Abdulllahi, had on behalf of the Northern leaders, urged Saraki and Bala Mohammed to work together to make allowance for further consultations “to foster understanding among themselves, and the PDP community to ensure a rancour-free primary in which all eligible delegates would be free to exercise their right.”
But dissociating NEF from the shortlisted consensus candidates, a statement issued by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, noted that the entire process to produce the consensus candidates did not involve the Forum.
According to him, Prof Abdullahi concluded the assignment on Northern consensus candidate, released a detailed report and recommendation, which he signed in his individual capacity.
Baba-Ahmed said the forum believes that the North has excellent candidates whose fate should be left to party delegates and voters to decide.
The statement reads in part: “It has become necessary to address the impression created in part by mischief, and in part by genuine confusion over the role of the Convener of Northern Elders Forum, in the efforts to create consensus among four aspirants for the Presidential ticket of the PDP.
“The idea to attempt to engineer a consensus among the aspirants was that of the aspirants themselves. governors Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Malam Mohammed Hayatudeen, had informed Badamasi Babangida of their intention and requested elderly intervention and advice in the event that their efforts failed to produce consensus.
“President Babangida, in turn, requested Professor Ango Abdullahi in his individual capacity to design and manage a process that could improve a consensus agreement among the four aspirants.
“It is important to make clear that the entire process did not involve the Northern Elders Forum as a group, and is not a product of the group. Professor Ango Abdullahi is free to undertake any lawful activity as a citizen, and genuine misinterpretations of his role are understandable.
“Northern Elders Forum is not affiliated to any political party or aspirant, and is strongly committed to the creation of a level playing field, which will allow the emergence of the best leaders in the 2023 elections.”
The statement added that the forum remains united behind the protection and projection of interests of the North and Nigeria, and will play its role as it had done whenever circumstances demand.
But in a swift reaction, Governor Bala Mohammed has insisted that Prof. Abdullahi acted on behalf of the NEF, even though not all members of the organisation were invited to participate in the process of choosing the consensus candidates.
The governor noted that the committee was not a party affair, but a community affair. He said rather than being criticised, the Northern elders should be commended for their selfless effort in ensuring they choose a candidate for the North.
Lambasting the NEF spokesman for the statement, Mohammed stated that what Baba Ahmed said was his personal opinon, adding that “he cannot speak on the behalf of what his chairman has already said.
“It is a sign of insubordination and I find it unbecoming, because if the chairman comes up with a statement on behalf of the organisation, it is really unbecoming for the secretary to come and issue a statement disowning it.
“Maybe there were some premonitions permutation or expectation that this consensus will work for others or someone other than myself.”
He further dismissed allegations by his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, that voting was done on the day they went to Minna for the outcome of the result.
He added that the committee had started voting since the two weeks period they met the former military president, Ibrahim Babangida.
He said as much as they gave Babangida the sole decision to choose among them who was best to be the consensus candidate, the former military president engaged the NEF because he wanted to expand the process.
He said Tambuwal backed out of the consensus deal because he probably had a premonition that it wouldn’t work in his favour.
“So maybe he had an expo and a free knowledge of premonition of what would happen and he decided to back out, but certainly, I respect his opinion and feelings”, Mohammed noted.
