The northern region of the country is willing to back a credible presidential candidate from any region in 2023 says Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
According to him, a presidential candidate produced through regional or religious considerations would not be accepted.
Baba-Ahmed disclosed this during an interview with Daily Sun.
He noted that the current situation in the country does not require a leader produced by coercion or secession threats.
“We don’t want the president to emerge as a product of ethnic or religious pushes. We don’t want a president that will be answerable to a portion of Nigeria. We won’t accept it.
“The next president should emerge from a credible election from any part of the country but he or she must be first and foremost a Nigerian president. The north would back any credible candidate from the region who understands the problem, possesses the capacity to solve them (challenges), and can build bridges across the country.”
“We don’t want organized violence or threats to produce the president of Nigeria. Secession is a bad option for the South-East. It is not in the best interest of this country or anybody,” he said.
“Why should the federal government allow IPOB to strangulate five south-east states? If this administration does not have the capacity and willingness to ask this question, to deal with this problem, then the next administration should do so.”
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