Friday, 15 August 2014

Disregard our elders’ comment

A group, the Northern Alternative Forum, has called on Nigerians to disregard a statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum asking President Goodluck Jonathan not to declare interest in 2015 elections until the abducted Chibok girls were rescued.
The forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Gidado Ibrahim, made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.
Ibrahim said Northern elders got it wrong because Jonathan enjoyed about 75 per cent support in the region.
He said contrary to the claim of the elders, Northerners would not vote in 2015 based on sentiments or ethnic consideration but based on the performance of the present administration.
He said the region would continue to support Jonathan based on the benefits of his transformation agenda.
Ibrahim dissociated the NAF from the statement credited to the Northern elders.
He said, “We supported President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 based on credibility and we will continue to support him.
“We are not part of that statement credited to the Northern elders. They did not vote for Jonathan in 2011 and he won.
“We are solidly behind the President and our forum has since endorsed him for a second term.
“The President has 75 per cent support in the North. We will not vote based on sentiment or ethnic consideration.
“When the people of the North supports him in 2015, people of other regions will also support us when our time comes.”