The Northern Elders Forum on Wednesday raised concerns that ethnicity and greed might prevent the emergence of a nation with the potential to reverse its fortunes in 2023.
As it relates to the election preparations for 2023 and beyond, the organisation expressed concern over developments in many aspects of Nigerian politics.
In a statement released in Abuja, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, accused politicians of “desperately shepherding Nigerians into two irreconcilable religious divides, all in a bid to garner undeserved advantages at the expense of religious tolerance and coexistence.”
The democratic process, which is already in trouble, is threatened by these developments, he declared. Because of the desperation and limitations of those among our politicians who should be acting with leadership and responsibility, our politics have strayed beyond acceptable and safe bounds, and the country will pay a heavy price. On the sole pretext that many issues that will affect our lives and the quality of our national existence are purely internal political party matters, it is not responsible to resist the urge to caution politicians.
“The search for a running mate for the APC’s presidential candidate, in which the religious beliefs of two people are the only issue at hand, serves as a sombre reminder that our politicians will not permit our democratic system to expand beyond the narrowest of confines.
Nigerians take their religion very seriously, but we also painfully recognise that the way our leaders have governed us has never been influenced by their religious beliefs. We are a multi-religious nation, and our citizens will suffer greatly if one politician is not a Christian or a Muslim. The political gamesmanship in the APC now distracts attention from important issues surrounding the quality of governance. The drama surrounding the selection of the PDP presidential candidate’s running mate and the role of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike will serve as ongoing reminders that wealth and power, regardless of how they were acquired, have taken control of our political system.
It’s possible that the country cannot afford the ransom that must be paid to free our democratic process. We will pay a heavy price if these politicians are successful in imposing their personalities on the democratic process because our country is being divided into strongholds run by strong, individual politicians who must be appeased at all costs.
The emergence of a country with the potential to reverse its fortunes in 2023 is threatening to be thwarted, among a few other factors that have the potential to matter. These factors include greed and ethnicity.
We only see frightful levels of hostility and ethnic chauvinism, as we recently witnessed in exchanges between Labour Party and NNPP leaders, rather than options and opportunities that will increase their chances of giving Nigerians real and credible. Particularly ethnic identity appears to have the potential to grow to the point where it could, by itself, thwart a smooth transition to 2023 and beyond.
“Our politics have grown to be a significant additional burden for the Nigerian citizen, dwarfing the spread of insecurity, poverty, and cynicism regarding the chances of our survival as a united country. The nation has very good reason to be concerned about its future if the way our politicians are vying for power is any indication of the calibre of leadership they will offer. With recurring threats and demands that an already weakened leadership cannot handle, other leaders who represent specific interests add to our concerns.
“The actions of our politicians are putting in jeopardy the prospects for a free and fair election and the safe conduct of electoral activities. The nation must be extricated from its current precarious position by finding the resolve and strength to take a step back. Beyond a simple election, much is at stake. Because of it, our nation will survive.
