The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has said there were plans to exploit the region ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
It also promised to support aspiring leader(s) with genuine commitment to deal with its problems and political will to meet the region’s aspirations.
The forum said this in a statement Sunday by NEF Convener Professor Ango Abdullahi in Zaria, Kaduna state.
The statement said: “The forum has observed that political manoeuvres around the 2023 elections are targeting the North as a region available for exploitation.
“We want to make it clear that people of the North will be very careful in committing to persons seeking their support on the basis of their region or wealth.
“The North knows its interest and will stand together to elect only persons who meet the standards and interests of the people of the North.
“No politicians should assume they are entitled to our support unless they show a clear understanding and a commitment to deal with our problems and meet our aspirations.”
On national security, the NEF leader called for the injection of a higher level of competence, integrity and accountability in the manner Nigerian security agencies deal with security challenges.
He said: “We appeal to our religious leaders and fellow citizens not to fall into the trap of insurgents to set us up against each other.
“We condemn the tactic of targeting Christians and publicising their executions by an insurgency seeking to exploit our different faiths.
“We also condemn the murder of thousands of Muslims and Christians in communities which the insurgency has made permanent target in the last decade.
“These are times when we must unite and resist a common enemy as well as demand that our leaders protect us all as Nigerians.”
While expressing the group’s support for the idea of improving the policing capacity of the nation, Abdullahi said all initiatives to improve public safety must be accommodated within the law.
The group therefore called for the adoption of a more vigorous and inclusive process which would result in the creation of acceptable frameworks and confidence among all communities with respect to policing strategy.
NEF also said it was ready to go into dialogue with any group willing to discuss this important matter, and advised “government to exercise higher levels of restraint and responsibility in the manner they respond to the challenges of improving our security and safety,” he said.
