By our reporter| As the battle for the country’s presidency heats up, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Friday faulted the zoning of Nigeria’s highest office, as it negates the standard norms of democracy.
The NEF Convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who made the disclosure at a meeting with the Coalition of Northern Groups in Zaria, Kaduna State argued that political parties should allow their members freely vote for candidates of their choice.
According to Abdullahi, the power-sharing deal between the northern and southern regions of Nigeria is dead and buried.
Candidates, he insisted, should be allowed to contest elections on the basis of merit and competence.
According to him, merit should be the yardstick to get the country’s next president, and the position, open to standard norms of the democratic process.
The NEF convenor also revealed that he presided over the selection of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State as the northern presidential consensus aspirants.
This, he said, was done in his personal capacity and “not on behalf of Northern Elders Forum”.
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