The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has said it would set aside sentiments based on ethnicity and religion to vote for a competent and credible leader in the 2023 presidential election.
According to NEF, the northerners made a huge mistake in 2015 by voting President Muhammadu Buhari based on sentiment, adding that the region is prepared more than ever to ensure the best candidate wins in 2023.
The NEF’s Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said this while addressing a press conference shortly after the meeting of northern leaders of thought and groups which held at the Arewa House, Kaduna, Saturday.
Baba-Ahmed who said northerners made a mistake by voting Buhari in 2015 and 2019 elections respectively, described the incumbent administration as a disappointment to not only the North, but the entire country.
He also noted that northerners and their southern counterparts have equal rights to vie for the nation’s exalted office in the 2023 presidential race, adding that the region will not hesitate to support anyone who wants the best for the country.
In his words: “No northerner should take us for granted. That’s how we ended up with President Buhari. We don’t want to repeat the same mistake. If you must be a northerner who’s better than all the candidates; for us, that’s the bottom line. It’s not enough to be a northerner, you have to be the best. You have to be the best for the North and you have to be the best for the rest of Nigeria.
“We are looking for a Nigerian President. If it comes from the North, fine but he must be voted for by Nigerians and he must be good and he must be better than all the others. That’s what we are looking for.”
