The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has denied the rumour making the rounds that the groups have adopted a certain individual among the aspirants vying for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
According to a communiqué signed by the Director General (DG) of the Pan Northern Groups, Dr. Yima Sen, after a crucial meeting on Friday, the groups described the rumour as a total fabrication farther from the truth, adding that it is not in the tradition of the Forum to decide for Nigerian voters any specific candidates before elections.
The communiqué stated thus, “what the Pan Northern Groups did under the chairmanship of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, was to hold series of meetings with all the presidential aspirants urging them to prune down their numbers and unite behind a consensus candidate.”
The communiqué stated further that while most of the aspirants accepts to dialogue amongst themselves, few still shows unwillingness to back down, believing that their cases would rather be determined at the convention.
“The Group being a neutral advisory body which does not want a rancorous convention and a contested primary, conceded to the aspirants with the understanding that there must be free and fair elections where the party and indeed the aspirants must unite behind any successful candidate after the primaries,” the communiqué further stressed.
The groups reiterated that it is not the duty of Pan Northern Groups to anoint a presidential candidate, stating that it is exclusively the duty of the party.
“Our duty is to ensure that all the candidates go to the contest as one and emerge from the primaries united and strong in order to take over the mantle of leadership from the ruling party.
“It is therefore pertinent to note that the Pan Northern Groups are neutral in all their undertakings and that their interaction with all the presidential aspirants should be seen for what it was, a patriotic duty to our country. And the aim is the pursuit of the avenues that would promote peace and development for our country,” the communiqué stated.
