May 17, (THEWILL) – The Presidency has berated the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over divisive comments, allegedly asking a section of the country to secede from Nigeria.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who expressed the position of the Federal Government in a statement issued on Tuesday, described as “delusional arrogance” for NEF to “publicly state terms and conditions for the existence of our nation.”
Shehu, in a press statement titled, ‘Statement On The Call By Northern Elders Forum Asking A Section Of The Country To Leave The Federation’ queried the authority of the Forum to determine the exclusion or expulsion of anyone, group or section of the country from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Presidency maintained that only a democratically elected government can take decisions on behalf of the people and not those it described as “opinionated tin-gods.”
The statement read: “We are aware of the latest statement from the so-called Northern Elders Forum.
“We wish to reassure Nigerians that only their democratically elected leadership takes the decisions that steer our nation – and no one else.
“No self-appointed and unelected group can take this right from Nigerians – no matter how much coverage they might enjoy in the media. Nigerians listen to elected leaders, not opinionated tin-gods who have no traction with any responsible group.
“It is delusional arrogance that would lead such a group to publicly state terms and conditions for the existence of our nation.
Who gave them the right to ask for the exclusion or expulsion of any one, group or section of the country from the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
“The Nigerian government does not take guidance nor invitations from such groups – only from the Nigerian people who put governments in office.
:Any group can refer to themselves as “leaders”, but in Nigeria, if you have not been elected by Nigerians to a leadership role, then you are not – and the government certainly doesn’t recognise you as such.
“Like many other countries around the world, Nigeria is feeling the strain of the current period of volatility and uncertainty. Now is not the time to seek to exacerbate divisions amongst Nigerians. Rather, we call on all Nigerians to come together and work to overcome the challenges we face as one nation, one people.”
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