It has been reported that the Northern Elders Forum has stated that it regretted that it got rid of then President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections to vote in the president Muhammadu Buhari.
According to reports, the NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this on Tuesday when he featured on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ breakfast programme.
According to him, “Is there any Nigerian who is not disappointed in President Buhari including diehard APC people? Is there anybody who would not tell you he wished President Buhari had done much better?”
He stated that, “We raised huge expectations, we told people, ‘Get rid of Jonathan, put Buhari there, he would fix corruption, he would fix insecurity, he would fix the economy’ (but) look at where we are now.”
He said that, “How can anybody say they are happy with the record of President Buhari, even the people very close to him would tell you that they wished he could have done much better and he could have done much better and he hasn’t.”
Baba-Ahmed suggested that, “So, what we need to do now is to get ready to elect another President who would go in the opposite direction, a President who has a vision and a clear idea of what governance involves rather than just being a President. So, I am disappointed and that is why today, I am actively involved in trying to see that a new leader emerges in getting Nigerians a new lease of life.”
Making reference to the general election coming up in 2023, Baba-Ahmed stated that, “We have lived under Southern Presidents because we recognise that Nigeria is made up of sections, ethnic groups and interests. We recognise that, we are northerners, pluralism is in our DNA, we accept that, we live with it.”
He urged that, “Don’t make the issue of Presidency a matter over which Nigerians would fight and threaten the country and the democratic process, that is very dangerous for this country.”
He noted that, “The nation needs a leader that would do the things that President (Muhammadu) Buhari hasn’t done, create inclusiveness, address resentment and frustration in other parts of the country and in the north and speak and act for everybody.”
Add Comment