September 21, (THEWILL) – The Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SaMBA) has condemned a statement credited to the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed boasting that northern Nigeria will retain the presidency in 2023 because they have the numbers to lead Nigeria in perpetuity.
THEWILL reports that Baba-Ahmed had in a keynote address at the inaugural edition of Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series organised by the students wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), rejected the position of the Southern governors that the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the Southern part of the country.
Baba-Ahmed said the heavens will not fall if a northerner is again elected the next president of Nigeria, adding that the North was not for sale and that Northerners will surprise those waiting for them to queue up in 2023 and be given money in exchange for their votes, adding that anyone who does not want a northerner as president should leave the country if one emerges.
“We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before; whether we are president or vice president, we will lead Nigeria. We have the majority of the votes and democracy says vote whom you want. Why should we accept a second-class position when we know we can buy forms and contest for first-class and we will win?
“Why does anybody need to threaten us and intimidate us? We will get that power, but be humble because power comes from God. We inherited leadership; being honest is not being stupid”, he said.
But SaMBA in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesman, Prince Rwang Pam Jnr, described the statement made by Baba-Ahmed on behalf of NEF as “reckless, careless and insensitive”.
The Group wondered how the NEF with the calibre of educated people among them can resort to boasting that the north has the population to do anything they want with power.
SaMBA said, the era of ‘One North’ is past, adding that many liberal-minded elites in the North feel sad because the statement credited to the NEF is capable of further deepening the division in the country.
“Rather than boasting of numerical strength to win elections, NEF should look for ways to turn the numerical strength to productivity. Nigeria is presently rated as the poverty headquarters of the world because of poor standards of living in the region under the present leadership.
“We therefore urge liberal minded Northerners to work with the Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SaMBA) to produce a new crop of leaders in 2023 with the requisite competence, character and courage to usher Nigeria into the 21st century”, the Group said.
The statement further reads, “Our attention has been drawn to the statement credited to Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed that the North is not ready to relinquish power in 2023, claiming that the region has the majority of votes and democracy says ‘vote whom you want.
“Let Dr Baba-Ahmed be reminded that without the Middle Belt, such numbers boasted about in the North is mere political posturing.
“It is disheartening that Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed will make such reckless and careless statements at a time when we are still battling to keep the country united.
“One would have expected that the retired Permanent Secretary with his exposure and academic prowess will choose his words carefully, but it is quite unfortunate that NEF will talk recklessly.
“It is certain that some liberal-minded people in the North will be shedding secret tears as a result of the statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) because it is based on a delusion of a ‘one north’ that has treated the middle belt region as second class citizens.
“The so-called ‘north’ cannot boast of numerical strength to win an election without reckoning with the strength of the middle belt and other northern Christians that have decided to work with their southern Nigeria counterparts to produce fresh and effective leaders for the country.
“Rather than boasting of numerical strength to win an election, NEF should look for ways to turn the numerical strength to productivity. Nigeria is presently rated as the poverty headquarters of the world because of poor standards of living in the region under the present leadership.
“We therefore urge liberal-minded Northerners to work with the Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SaMBA) to produce a new crop of leaders in 2023 with the requisite competence, character and courage to usher Nigeria into the 21st century.”
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