Buhari, Atiku, others move for consensus candidate

• Govs insist north has numerical power to make or mar nation

TO enable them to effectively challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants from the north at the weekend moved to harmonise their political interests.

The presidential aspirants include former Head of State, retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State and the Publisher of the Leadership Newspapers, Chief Sam Nda Isaiah.

At a meeting called by the stakeholders of APC in the north, they agreed that the region should present a candidate that must bring back its “lost glory” and the country in general.

Buhari who spoke on behalf of other APC presidential aspirants narrated his experiences in the past elections, which he pursued to the Supreme Court where judgements were given in favour of the PDP.

According to him, the 2015 elections must be different because “we should not allow what happened in the previous elections to happen this time around because we must guard the votes and also ensure that credible results are declared.

“Today we should be wiser and make sure that the PDP is not allowed to repeat what that party did in the previous elections, just as it happened recently in Ekiti State.

“We are all aware that Nigerians are tired of the present situation in the country, with poor leadership. We should not allow what is happening in the country to continue in the next four years again. We must be ready to join hands with our people to salvage the nation.”

Representatives of the various Arewa organisations who were present on the occasion advised the APC presidential aspirants to look beyond their personal ambitions of leading the party as candidate in the 2015 polls.

In his goodwill message, the Secretary of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, said that the north and the country in general had been traumatized and that “this is not the time for the APC to present a candidate with a personal agenda and one with no interest of the country at heart.

“We in the forum have been saying that both the PDP and APC should present credible candidates for the 2015 elections in order to save this country of all the problems we are facing. With credible and accountable leadership emerging in this country in 2015 half of our problems would be solved.”

The Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, urged the northern leaders, irrespective of their religion and ethnicity, to summon courage and come together, “to salvage the country, as Nigerians go into another round of election next year.”

According to him, the north has the numerical strength, and it is in a position to make or mar the future of this country.

He spoke on behalf of other APC governors at the meeting, stressing that the north in the best of times was the least in all indices of economic development, let alone now that insurgency had ravaged some parts of the north.

“We are now the poorest of the earth. Poverty has no religion, it has no ethnicity, therefore, we must reach out to other parts of the country, so that by 2015, other Nigerians can join forces with us to salvage the country.

“We must not fight over political offices within the party. We must not allow our aspirations as individuals to jeopardise our collective resolve to salvage the country. We have the number and we are in the position to make or mar the future of the generation yet unborn in this country.

“The north is in a shambles. Citizens have become refugees in their country. There is the need to produce the next president from the north. But this is not without challenges, requiring vigilance and courage. There is the need to bury our differences and become united to confront the challenges ahead. If we can summon courage to come together irrespective of our religious and ethnic differences, we are poised to form the next government, come 2015.”

The convener of the meeting and APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, said that the occasion was to discuss with other stakeholders on how to move the party to a greater height ahead of the 2015 elections.

“It is important that we continue to learn from past lessons of history and ensure that our party gets stronger, more focused and committed to democratic ideals”, he added.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion, include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Bello Masari, governors of Yobe, Zamfara, Chief George Akume, retired Brigadier General Jafaaru Isa, Senator Kabir Ibrahim Gaya and Senator Abu Ibrahim.

In a statement after the deliberation, Shuaibu said that members of the party in the north had expressed their “commitment to the unity and continuous existence of Nigeria as a democratic, progressive nation committed to the well-being of all citizens.

“The meeting notes reports that the Federal Government and Boko Haram are engaged in discussion that may result in cessation of hostilities. While we welcome any effort to resolve the conflict, the party advises against attempts to deceive Nigerians and create a false sense of security for political ends.”