In a time of continious political manipulation and party politicking, the Northern Elders’ Forum on Monday said that the North would not support President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
The spokesman for the group, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, stated this in an interview with reports, while reacting to a statement by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Babangida Aliyu.
It would be recalled that Aliyu had on Sunday in Minna, said the North would negotiate with candidates contesting the 2015 presidential election.
He denied saying only a northerner should emerge as President in 2015.
Abdullahi said, “My part of the North will not support him (Jonathan). The South owe us a moral debt and they should pay.
He was quoted as saying “They seem to be forgetting the moral debt they owe us. There is nothing personal against the person of President Goodluck Jonathan. There is something wrong with the system that threw him up against equity and justice.”
The spokesman said that people should have the courage to acknowledge equity and justice.
He further stated that, “The Northern Elders Forum has no political party. This is something that you should remember. The various northern groups including the ACF (Arewa Consultative Forum) have no political party.
“What we have are political interests and it is on these political interests that we are going to direct our energies. At the moment our political interest, based on equity and justice rests with the North.
“When I say we will not support him, it is not because he is Jonathan or that he is Ijaw. What we are saying is that we will look at the issues at stake and throw our weight where there will be equity.”
Abdullahi said that the North had not been treated fairly.
According to him, the NEF has no political party or presidential candidate for now.
The spokesman added that there were no contradictions in the comments made by Aliyu and his Jigawa State counterpart, Sule Lamido.
Lamido had in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, said that the Peoples Democratic Party presidential ticket was not a guarantee that Jonathan would win the 2015 poll.
Abdullahi said, “There is no contradiction in the position of the North. If you read what Babangida Aliyu said correctly, he said the North will negotiate the Presidency in 2015.
“It does not foreclose the emergence of a northern candidate. I don’t know in what context (Sule) Lamido spoke but I know he knows what he is talking about.
“It is a fact that even when a candidate emerges on the platform of a party there is no guarantee that he will win the election in a free and fair contest.”
He recalled that the North supported zoning in 1999. This, he said, was to enable all parts of the country to have a sense of belonging.
Abdullahi said, “It was the Northern Elders Forum that supported the election of the President from the Southern part of the country, first for four years and secondly for another four years.
“We are not talking as if other parts of the country have no rights. We ceded our rights and supported their aspirations, and therefore, what we are saying is that for equity, fairness and balance, it is about time that there is a payback based on the kind of system so that people will not misunderstand us.”
After all said, the spokesman was of the opinion that the media should be blamed for the impression planted in the minds of Nigerians that the North believes it is its birthright to claim power in 2015.
These ppl r funny. N they take d rest of us for granted. They play with our intelligence too. And are arrogant about it. We shall see what transpires come 2015 and beyond sha