2023 presidency: We’ve been and remain kingmakers — Northern Elders - Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

2023 presidency: We’ve been and remain kingmakers — Northern Elders

Published

4 years ago

on

Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

The Northern Elders Forum has said that the North will be a strong factor in determining who emerges as Nigeria’s president in 2023.

The position of the NEF was contained in a speech by its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

In the speech read on Saturday during the meeting of the Northern Leaders of Thought at the Arewa House in Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed said the North had always had a say in who becomes the leader of the country.

In the speech, titled: “Rebuilding the North,” he said: “May I start by expressing my profound appreciation for the privilege of delivering this Keynote Address on a date and a venue that have major historical significance for the North and Nigeria. This honour is all the more humbling given the significance of our present surroundings as well as the current state of the North and the country as a whole. This is also a rare event. Although groups and associations have raised voices on insecurity, poverty and the damaging decline of the economy of the  North and the setbacks in relations between communities that make up Nigeria, many Northern elders and leaders with personal integrity and other qualities who should stand up to be counted have largely retreated into the discomfort of silence.

“Younger Northerners are angry, frustrated and alienated, with virtually no linkages with elders and leaders, unless they are hired thugs in the service of politicians. Many others are criminals, bandits, informers or kidnappers exploiting the weaknesses of the State, or at margins of hopelessness in a country that they believe promises a lot and delivers nothing. This meeting appears to have been designed to commence the building of bridges that should link generations of Northerners around a vision which gives hope and heals a region lacking a single excuse for its many wounds.”

READ ALSO:

“The effort of the organizers of this meeting, specifically to bring together prominent, elderly and future leaders of the North is particularly commendable. In this room, and in these surroundings, there is the history of people who took over the responsibility to steer the North through the challenging waters of decolonization and finding for it a fitting place in the new Nigeria. Most of them were in their 30s and 40s, but they understood their historic opportunities; the values they were prepared and groomed to defend, and the challenges which they were to face.

“Their team leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, fell to bullets from cowardly murderers in these very premises. The people who killed him simultaneously launched Nigeria into a different and negative trajectory from which it has not recovered. Today, we can speak as three or four generations of Northerners who have seen the best and now live in the worst of the North. We can lament the loss of great opportunities, but we will also support each other to find the strengths and the courage to ask the right questions and find the right answers.

“We should use this day, at this venue full of history, to signal a turning – point in our circumstances as a people and bring an end to lamentations. We have wasted enough lives, blood, energy and resources drifting and blaming leaders who have reaped hugely from our misfortunes and self-inflicted injuries. It is enough.

“We have no one else to cry to; no one to look up to, to lead us out of terror and poverty and no one willing to use their positions to turn the fortunes of the North around. Our fate will only be designed and determined by us. We may be facing unprecedented challenges, but these are times to prepare to find extraordinary strengths and assets so that our children will be rid of the current nightmares which are our lives today.”

“We do have massive sources of energy and muscle to bring real change to our circumstances. We have the anger of people whose lives have been taken over by armed criminals who know we are basically undefended against them. We have limits on how much we can run away from bullets, rapists and kidnappers, and we are reaching those limits.

“We have memories of a period when life had values; when religious faith meant you tolerate, and  not kill those who worship differently from you; when leaders feared God and had respect for the people they led; when being a Northerner meant honesty and hard work, and not a disposable threat; when our young where taught values that prepared them to fear God,  respect authority and stand up to bullies and those who were intolerant of our basic identities and values.

“Anger is not the best fuel for change, but in our case today, it is the most potent. If used constructively and responsibly, it can create an environment that will remove its sources and its manifestations. Unfortunately for the North, it is also the only fuel source we have. We have voted people into power who have either turned their backs at us or have usurped the very sources of their power and turned them into personal assets.

“We have a democratic system that progressively benefits only a handful of leaders and politicians, and leaves millions of our people to wonder how it could be the best option available to terrorized, poor people. We have decaying value systems that breed evils such as corrupt leaders, armed criminals and drug pandemics, and encourage cheating and corruption as the only means of getting what we need. We have a huge population that is sinking into poverty and desperation in a harsh and unforgiving world.

“Every indicator suggests that things will get considerably worse in the near future. The cost of living will rise and compound the wretchedness of the poor. Armed criminality will continue to determine how we live and die, even if it could be defeated at some future date. Our political process will feed widespread violence as political competition pumps up every one of our demons to escort individual political ambitions. Our current leaders will continue to recede into their own world, mumbling incomprehensible fiction while they wait out their terms.

“The North faces two distinct choices: atrophy and destruction, or recovery and growth. The first is already visible and in the process; the second is a difficult, yet achievable goal. The most vital requirement that will make the difference between the two is a critical and honest self-evaluation. The North has to understand how cultured, hardworking and intelligent people cannot produce good leaders who can build a strong economy from its huge potential.

“How did corruption assume such magnitude among our communities that even the democratic system and our home-grown social and political structures and strong social values are now securely its hostage, consigning every segment of social life to insignificance unless it is linked to plundered wealth and stolen power? Why is its massive population a liability and not an asset, coming to life only during elections when it is needed to reinforce a shrinking democratic system, and relapsing into drudgery and scrapping an existence thereafter?

“Who and what was responsible for the virtual de-industrialization of the entire Northern region, creating patches of possibly the poorest of humanity within it, and destroying an economy that had shown an impressive potential to grow into the economic powerhouse of the nation and West Africa’s breadbasket?

“How did the North lose its tenuous hold on managing its cultural and religious diversity, setting into motion raptures that leave every community worse off, and creating enemies out of even unborn neighbours? What created the Boko Haram insurgency, and what explains its resilience and the ineffectiveness of our security assets to eliminate it? What turned some Fulani herders long used to hardship and frictions into the monsters that they are today?

“How did the Fulani, famous for learning and administration and living with huge assets with the most minimal demands on resources of the State, become identified by its lowest denominator, the Fulani bandit and kidnapper?

“Who can explain the dramatic deterioration of the most intimate of relations between Hausa and Fulani, and the rising demonization of Fulani among communities with which they are barely distinguishable, or have lived for decades or centuries?

“How did the Northerner become the villain of the rest of the nation, the source of all its recent ills and liabilities, in a country he helped build and sustain with lives, limbs, blood and labour? Above all, does the North have the capacity to re-engineer its reconstruction and sustained development?

“The North does not have the luxury of finding answers to these puzzles while the nation moves on and its problems worsen. Its only choice is to target the major source of its multiple challenges and attempt to deal with it. This, in my view, lies in the quality of its leaders and those that will lead the nation. The North needs a major shift in its elite selection processes, which will allow it to put into power, competent, honest and visionary leaders at all levels.

“What this means is that the overwhelming majority of politicians warming up in our major parties to take over and continue business as usual should be roundly rejected, and others who will not have to buy or steal power because they have credibility and evidence of some integrity will be voted in by voters who will resist the temptation to sell votes for less than a meal. The imperative of affecting major changes in the quality of leadership starting from the 2023 elections is beyond question. This is why the North should support major amendments of the electoral process, and improvements in the capacities of INEC to reduce rigging and vote-buying and violence.

“For most of what the North needs to do, the centre is important. The successful campaign to defeat the damaging narrative that no Northerner should aspire to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria is a credit to committed democrats and those who believe in justice, equity and fairness. It is important to emphasise, however, that this was not a campaign that sought to bestow any favours on the North and shortchange the rest of Nigeria.

“It was essentially meant to avoid restricting the political space, as well as the danger of the emergence of a President who bears all the hallmarks of limiting identities and the stamp of a victory of the part over the whole. Now that a level playing field is being taken up by politicians from all parts of the country, it is equally important to remind ourselves that democracy is essentially about the freedom to choose leaders, and all Nigerians should be free to choose any contestant from any part of the country they want.

“For the North, we cannot say it louder. A Northerner should be voted President only if he is the best. Being Northerner is not enough. All Nigerians need good leaders, but for us in the North, we will demand to see evidence that a candidate does not just want the power to fulfil a personal ambition. We want to see evidence that those who want to lead us in future understand the roots of and solutions to our insecurity and poverty and distances from each other.

“We want to know how irredentism will be handled; how and when major changes in our structures and systems will be made to address popular grievances over the way our country should operate; how our economy can be re-engineered to achieve sustainable development and work for the rich and the poor equally, and how our young will be groomed to become productive, honest and patriotic citizens. We will demand to see an inclusive and competent team that will campaign with the candidate and transit with him into governance. We want a thoroughly Nigerian President who will be as hard on the bandit as he will be on secessionists and insurgents. We want a President with vision and the energy to retrieve a country on the verge of collapse and place it securely on the path of stability, security and growth.

“We are, of course, some distance from next year’s elections, but it will be dangerous to ignore signs that the journey from this point until those elections could place the country in greater danger. We should warn politicians to avoid destroying a country they seek to lead. We must demand that the fight against organized, violent crimes is intensified. We need to improve elite cohesion even in the context of intensely-divisive electoral campaigns. Our leaders should avoid the temptations to roll out policies that will raise levels of desperation among the poor. Activities such as the planned population census which have enough sensitivity and potential to generate massive controversy a few months before the elections should be postponed.

“Key reforms to the constitution and the electoral process should be implemented to improve the quality of elections and signal a commitment to address limitations to our federal structures. Our leaders should raise their levels of empathy for the plight of poor and desperate citizens. To ignore the circumstances which create hundreds or even millions of internally-displaced persons and leave the next administration to handle it will be the height of irresponsibility. Huge resources must be deployed to improve the capacity of our defence and security assets and provide relief to fellow Nigerians or pauperized by criminals.

“Millions of Northerners are justifiably angry and frustrated that they are worse off today than they were before 2015 when they voted for an administration that promised to improve and secure lives. Many think voting for another set of leaders will add no value to their lives. We say turn your anger into an asset by voting in better people into office this time. There are politicians that will continue where the present administration stopped, and, while angry citizens refuse to vote, they will buy votes and get power. So, the most important thing a Northerner will do for himself and the community is to register and vote in 2023. Do not exchange your votes for another four or eight years in a country where your dignity and your life have little value.

“Distinguished participants, please look around these premises, and you will draw inspiration from strong, purposeful leadership, not just of the Sardauna, but the team he was a part of. From  Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Aliyu Makaman Nupe, Turaki Ali, Sunday Awoniyi, Ali Akilu and dozens of Northerners who reflected the true diversity of the North and shared a common vision and purpose, there was a North which knew its place in Nigeria and gave all it took to defend it.

“That North is still available to be recreated, but it needs to recognise the place of good leaders, hardworking and honest citizenry, a diversity that demands the highest standards of justice to manage, and a strong sense of destiny as a strong community for all who are part of it. In this hallowed hall, there is powerful history and a great potential to re-invent a region that will be great again. Please make that potential reality, and God in His infinite mercy will help us all.”

Eagle

Loading

Related Topics:
Advertisement

Politics

INEC recognises David Mark-led ADC, validates Atiku’s candidacy

Published

9 hours ago

on

July 15, 2026

By

INEC recognises David Mark-led ADC, validates Atiku's candidacy

INEC recognises David Mark-led ADC, validates Atiku’s candidacy

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it will recognise only the candidates submitted by the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections, effectively clearing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and 470 other candidates to contest on the party’s platform.

The electoral commission’s clarification settles, for now, the dispute over which faction of the ADC is authorised to submit candidates for the 2027 polls, even as legal battles over the party’s internal leadership continue.

Speaking on the development, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed that the commission granted the David Mark-led leadership access to its secure candidate nomination portal following a Supreme Court judgment affirming the faction’s leadership of the party.

According to Haruna, the recognised leadership has already uploaded candidates for 471 elective positions, comprising two presidential candidates, 109 senatorial candidates, and 360 House of Representatives candidates.

“Yes, we gave the Mark-led faction the code based on the recent Supreme Court judgment that affirmed his leadership of the party, and the faction has since submitted most of its candidates for a total of 471—presidential (2), senatorial (109) and House of Representatives (360) constituencies,” Haruna said.

He added that the Supreme Court did not authorise INEC to receive nominations from the rival faction, stressing that the group had already lost its appeal seeking recognition.

“The court, however, did not say we should accept any submissions by the rival faction which, in any case, had lost its appeal for recognition,” he stated.

Haruna further disclosed that the commission would carefully study the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the latest Court of Appeal judgment before taking an official position on its implications for the party’s internal affairs.

READ ALSO:

According to him, INEC will only make a formal decision after examining the details of the appellate court’s ruling.

The clarification followed claims by the rival ADC faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, which alleged that it had obtained access to INEC’s nomination portal and successfully uploaded candidates for the 2027 elections.

Reacting, the ADC welcomed INEC’s position and accused the rival faction of attempting to mislead Nigerians by circulating forged documents.

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said INEC had confirmed that the document circulated by the rival faction claiming access to the commission’s nomination portal was forged.

According to the party, falsely claiming access to INEC’s restricted nomination platform is a serious offence capable of undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

The party therefore urged INEC and security agencies to investigate those behind the alleged forgery and prosecute anyone found culpable in accordance with the law.

The development comes shortly after the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgment restraining INEC from recognising state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC.

However, the party maintained that the appellate court’s decision relates only to the conduct of ward, local government and state congresses, insisting that it has no effect on the direct primary elections through which its presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates emerged.

The ADC said the ruling does not invalidate the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate or affect the validity of candidates already nominated for the 2027 elections.

Political observers say INEC’s latest clarification provides greater certainty over the party’s candidate nomination process, although the broader legal dispute over the ADC’s leadership structure is expected to continue in court.

With the nomination process now largely concluded, attention is expected to shift to the resolution of pending litigation, campaign preparations and political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The recognition of the David Mark-led ADC is also viewed as a significant boost for the opposition coalition that adopted the party as its platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential election.

As legal proceedings continue, analysts believe the courts will ultimately determine the outstanding issues surrounding the party’s internal leadership, while INEC remains guided by existing judicial pronouncements in administering the electoral process.

INEC recognises David Mark-led ADC, validates Atiku’s candidacy

Loading

Continue Reading

Politics

Appeal Court upholds judgment barring INEC from recognising ADC state congresses

Published

2 days ago

on

July 13, 2026

By

Appeal Court upholds judgment barring INEC from recognising ADC state congresses

Appeal Court upholds judgment barring INEC from recognising ADC state congresses

The Court of Appeal has upheld a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or participating in state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a 2-1 majority decision delivered in Abuja on Monday, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the appeal challenging the earlier judgment, affirming that the Federal High Court acted within the law when it issued the restraining orders.

The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Okon Abang and supported by Justice Donatus Okorowo, held that the appeal lacked merit and reaffirmed the validity of the lower court’s ruling. However, Justice Abba Mohammed dissented, maintaining that the dispute was an internal affair of the political party and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the court.

The legal battle stemmed from a suit filed by seven aggrieved members of the ADC, including elected state chairmen and officials, who challenged the dissolution of the party’s state executive committees and the appointment of caretaker committees to organise state congresses.

READ ALSO:

The plaintiffs argued that the David Mark-led caretaker committee lacked the constitutional authority under the ADC Constitution to dissolve elected state executives or appoint committees to conduct state congresses.

They also contended that the actions of the caretaker leadership violated the party’s constitution and sought an order preventing INEC from recognising any congresses conducted by the appointed committees.

In its judgment, the Court of Appeal agreed that the issues raised went beyond an ordinary internal party disagreement because they involved the constitutional responsibilities of INEC under Nigeria’s electoral framework.

The appellate court ruled that where allegations involve breaches of constitutional provisions and statutory obligations imposed on the electoral commission, the courts have jurisdiction to determine such disputes.

The judgment affirmed the earlier decision of the Federal High Court, which restrained INEC from recognising, monitoring or participating in any ADC state congresses organised by committees appointed by the caretaker leadership pending the resolution of the substantive issues.

The court also upheld the lower court’s order preserving the tenure of the party’s elected state executive committees, declaring that their four-year mandate remains valid until lawfully terminated in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Additionally, the appellate court restrained the caretaker leadership from interfering with the functions of the elected state executives pending the determination of the substantive suit.

In the minority judgment, Justice Abba Mohammed argued that the matter was purely an internal affair of the political party and should not have been entertained by the Federal High Court.

However, the majority judgment prevailed, meaning the orders of the trial court remain binding unless overturned by the Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeal also awarded ₦10 million in costs against the appellant in favour of the respondents.

The ruling represents another significant development in the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress, a party that has recently attracted national attention following the emergence of a coalition of opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Legal experts say the judgment reinforces the principle that while political parties enjoy internal autonomy, their activities remain subject to judicial scrutiny whenever constitutional provisions, electoral laws or the statutory responsibilities of INEC are involved.

The decision also means that INEC cannot lawfully recognise or act on the outcome of any disputed ADC state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership until the legal issues are finally resolved.

Observers believe the judgment could influence the party’s preparations for future congresses, conventions and candidate selection processes as political realignments continue ahead of the next general elections.

Appeal Court upholds judgment barring INEC from recognising ADC state congresses

Loading

Continue Reading

Politics

Osun governorship election: Governor Adeleke invites EU to monitor August 15 poll

Published

2 days ago

on

July 13, 2026

By

Osun governorship election: Governor Adeleke invites EU to monitor August 15 poll
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Guschelbauer

Osun governorship election: Governor Adeleke invites EU to monitor August 15 poll

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has appealed to the European Union (EU) to deploy an election observation mission for the forthcoming Osun governorship election, saying international monitoring will strengthen transparency, promote compliance with Nigeria’s electoral laws and boost public confidence in the democratic process.

The governor made the appeal while receiving the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Guschelbauer, at the Government House in Osogbo, as preparations intensify for the August 15 governorship election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most significant off-cycle elections ahead of the 2027 general election.

Adeleke said the European Union has built a strong reputation for promoting credible elections through its observation missions in democratic countries and expressed confidence that its presence in Osun would further enhance the credibility of the poll.

According to the governor, international observers play an important role in encouraging compliance with the Electoral Act, promoting transparency and reassuring voters that their votes will count.

“I urge the European Union to take special interest in the forthcoming Osun State election. The observer intervention of the European Union will strengthen compliance with democratic practices and the Electoral Act for a free and fair poll,” Adeleke said.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful, transparent and credible election, assuring residents, political parties and other stakeholders that the state government would continue to provide an enabling environment for all participants in the electoral process.

He stressed that democracy can only flourish where elections are conducted fairly and peacefully, urging politicians and their supporters to avoid violence, intimidation, vote-buying and other actions capable of undermining the credibility of the election.

Adeleke also called on security agencies to remain professional, impartial and vigilant throughout the election period to guarantee the safety of voters, election officials and observers.

READ ALSO:

The governor reiterated that his administration remains committed to respecting the outcome of a credible electoral process and ensuring that the will of the people of Osun State prevails.

Beyond electoral matters, Adeleke highlighted the state’s enormous investment potential, inviting Austrian investors and businesses to explore opportunities in agriculture, renewable energy, solid minerals, technology, education, tourism and vocational training.

He said the Osun State Government has continued to implement reforms aimed at creating a business-friendly environment capable of attracting both domestic and foreign investment, stimulating economic growth and creating employment opportunities for residents.

“We are ready to work with your country and Austrian businesses in exploring these opportunities for mutual growth and prosperity,” the governor said.

Responding, Austrian Ambassador Peter Guschelbauer reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to promoting democratic governance, credible elections and respect for the rule of law across partner countries.

The ambassador expressed optimism that the Osun governorship election would be conducted in accordance with Nigeria’s electoral laws and democratic principles, noting that the poll would receive considerable attention because it is the last major governorship election before the 2027 general election.

He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully, respect the Electoral Act and avoid actions capable of threatening the stability of the state.

Guschelbauer also commended the Adeleke administration’s governance efforts and spoke about the longstanding cultural relationship between Austria and Osun State, particularly through the internationally recognised Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to him, Austria remains interested in supporting cultural preservation, tourism development and stronger economic cooperation with Osun State through partnerships with Austrian businesses and development institutions.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 15 for the Osun governorship election, with 14 political parties expected to participate in the contest.

The election is expected to attract widespread national and international attention as political parties intensify campaigns to convince voters ahead of the poll.

Political observers believe the deployment of domestic and international election observers, combined with adequate security and strict adherence to the Electoral Act, will further strengthen the credibility, transparency and peaceful conduct of the election.

As political activities gather momentum, stakeholders have continued to urge all contestants to embrace issue-based campaigns and place the interest of the people above partisan considerations to ensure another successful democratic exercise in Osun State.

Osun governorship election: Governor Adeleke invites EU to monitor August 15 poll

Loading

Continue Reading

Trending