The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday expressed concern over developments in the country’s political terrain, which it described as a threat to democracy.
The forum, in a statement by its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the developments threaten the already distressed democratic process of the country.
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“The search for a running mate for the APC’s presidential candidate with the religious faith of two individuals as the sole issue at stake represents a sad reminder that our politicians will not allow our democratic system to grow beyond the narrowest of confinements.
“Nigerians take their faith seriously, but we are also painfully aware that the faith of our leaders has never been a factor in the manner we are governed,” the elders said.
The forum said the political manoeuvres in the APC have diverted attention from serious issues around the quality of governance.
“We are a multi-religious country whose citizens will pay dearly if one politician is not a Christian or Muslim. Politicians are desperately shepherding Nigerians into two irreconcilable religious divides, all in a bid to garner undeserved advantages at the expense of religious tolerance and co-existence,” NEF said.
On the issue in PDP, the forum said, “The melodrama around the selection of the PDP’s presidential candidate’s running mate, and the role of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike will remain constant reminders that power and wealth, irrespective of how they are acquired, have made our political process its hostage.
“The ransom that will be paid to free our democratic process may be such that the nation cannot afford. Our nation is being carved into strongholds controlled by powerful individual politicians who must be placated at all costs, and we will pay a huge price if these politicians succeed in stamping their personalities into the democratic process.
“Among a handful of other parties with the potential to make a difference, ethnicity and greed are threatening to frustrate the emergence of a nation with the capacity to turn around its fortunes in 2023. Instead of exploring options and opportunities that will improve their chances of giving Nigerians real and credible leadership, we only witness frightening levels of hostility and ethnic chauvinism, as we saw recently in exchanges between Labour Party and NNPP leaders.”
The northern leaders said the prospects for the safe conduct of electoral activities and a free and fair election are being threatened by the conduct of our politicians.
“We must find the resolve and the strength to step back and pull the nation away from its current precarious position. What is at stake is more than an election. It is the survival of our country,” it said.
