Northern Elders regret not supporting Jonathan in 2015, advises South on 2023 polls

NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

The Northern Elders Forum on Wednesday said it regretted backing then candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election, instead of the then incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.

The position of the NEF was made known by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

Ahmed, who spoke on a programme on Arise TV: “The Morning Show,” said Buhari had since succeeding Jonathan let down a majority of Nigerians who trusted in his leadership before the 2015 polls.

He said: “Is there any Nigerian who is not disappointed in President Buhari, including diehard APC (All Progressives Congress) people?

“Is there anybody who would not tell you he wished President Buhari had done much better?

“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,’ look at where we are now.

“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 hasn’t.

“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.”

On the reaction to his earlier comment that the North can continue in power after Buhari because of its presumed population, Baba-Ahmed said: “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.

“Don’t make the issue of the presidency a matter over which Nigerians would fight and threaten the country and the democratic process; that is very dangerous for this country.”

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