 The Northern Elders Forum announces that the North won't vote based on sentiment as it did with Bihari. And as regards the Electoral Amendment Bill, the People's Democratic Party, PDP and their governors are asking lawmakers to either override the president's veto or delete areas of complaints. This is Post-Politics. I am Mary Anacol. Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Northern Elders Forum has announced that it will only support a presidential candidate who has the capacity to address the nation's socio-economic and security problems irrespective of where the person comes from. The Elders say they will no longer vote for a candidate based on sentiments as they did for President Mohammed Bihari in 2015, describing the incumbent as a disappointment to the entire country. The NEF's Director of Publicity and Advocacy Dr. Hakim Baba Ahmad dismissed calls by some groups that the presidency should be left for the south, describing such attestations as command democracy. He said, and I quote, the North supports for Bihari in 2015 and 2019 was a mistake, which should not be repeated in 2023. Joining us to discuss this is, of course, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Hakim Baba Ahmad. Thank you so much, Dr. for joining us. Hello, hi. Thank you very much. Great. Walk us through why you have decided as a forum to take this position as 2023. You're saying that you're not going to vote based on sentiments. What exactly do you mean by that? And does it mean that you had been doing this in previous election years based on sentiments? Well, a lot of voters vote on sentiments all over Nigeria, right now the people who are making the speech against the law, against common sense, against the very first post-democracy that only its Nigerians from the southern part of the country should be voted for are acting on sentiments. Their position is not supported by law. It's not supported by the demands and the challenges of the country. And it's certainly not going to be supported by anybody, not by the law-runners, not by even their politicians. And so there's still a role with voting on sentiments. But sometimes where that sentiment should be formed by interests that are wider than some of the considerations we are hearing from the southern part of the country. It has to be an ethnic candidate. It has to be a Christian. You have to come from the southern part of the country. You have to go over, I guess, people or you have to be from one part from the south. So these are sentiments that are negative. Last one, I really thought this is too much. In Nigeria, of 2019, has no business electing a president who would have a whole month of ethnic identity or a major identity and can fight possibly a major breach in terms of the process. A Nigerian president should be elected by all Nigerians. He should be the product of the constitution of the month that all parties will be free to kill their candidates. And also citizens should be free to elect who they want. If you compromise this, you'll produce a section of presidents. And we are quite possibly end up with the fact last person rather than the best out of all the lots that come out of it. We have always been our position. We haven't changed anything. We're just re-emphasizing the fact that as far as the law is concerned, even if we think there ought to be a sentiment, we prioritize competence. We prioritize the record and we emphasize the fact that he or she must be accepted by all Nigerians. We must not be the product of ethnic politics. Okay, let me take you back to 2014. In 2014, there was a clamor that power must return to the north. And there was that sentiment of, oh, our son died, so we must complete his term. That was a valid sentiment at the time. Nobody kicked against it. In 2022 now, everybody's saying no rotation. We only want competent people to run for that office. So of course, the south is saying, well, there's been power rotation this whole time. Now it's our opportunity. Why are we saying that we no longer just want rotation? We want a competent person. Is it that there are no competent persons in the south? Because these are also the questions that are coming from those in the south. Let me ask you a question. When did the 2014 power return to the north? I hope. Waters watered for a candidate. I guess I have a candidate. Thank you, thank you. Water. I don't know what he wrote in his candidacy. Let's say a watered candidate happens to be President Wali. Before the voters voted, these candidates were actually put forward. Obviously, because, again, I use the word loosely, sentiment. And of course, because of the power rotation that has been in play for so many years. I have no power. I'm sorry to interrupt you. But when we say things, we need to be sure about what we're talking about. Only one party in this entire country, out of all the parties that are PDP, has rotation as a requirement. PDP. Not any other party. So don't say it's nothing there. But was it kicked against? Nothing in the constitution. As much as the PDP did have rotation, did the north, the south, did anybody kick against that rotation plan that they had in place? If it were a problem, why was it adhered to? It was just a PDP plan. Why was the PDP able to continue in that power rotation and unhindered? And everyone that was presented who won on that platform was accepted. I will answer your question, but let me take you back to this, especially the article. When you say competence should be prioritized, it includes everybody who has come out to save their community, including people from the south. It's quite possible that the most competent Nigerians out of all the lots who are asking to be trusted with power will come from the south. And also, we can't go to the south enough. We are not saying absolutely only another is competent enough to be president. We are saying prioritized, don't prioritize the region they come from. Don't prioritize the ethnic group. Don't put this kind of narrow, negative qualities ahead of the needs of all Nigerians who are rising and solve our problems, who will be accepted by everybody. And have complete this country aware of where it's at. So that's the second, that's the question you ask. Now, this thing in rotation, there is nobody who can become president in these countries. People relying on only the support of one party. As it is, the constitution has already made it mandatory to be a president who needs to enjoy the support of all parties in the country. And the law, that's the constitution. And anything else you do to compromise that is fundamental to the constitution. What is the truth? If it consumes a person, I do mean it works, because it will not work. And that's why we said this is my democracy, which is meaningless. Governors, everything Governors from the southern part of the country, you might have met for a few hours, came out and reviewed the statement saying, power must stand forever. And we thought we had great success for which we're going to clear. This is crazy, you're a politician. You must know. We are not impressed in any way. Maybe there's a gang of people there they are playing too. And some people in the south of the club, they are like, ah, our Governors are pleasant, they are not. We were not impressed in any other country. If it was first for me, no, they don't stand in the way. They don't stand on anything other than playing through the very damaging, very difficult country. Now, this is the joke. The leaders of the south-south and some elements of the big effect got together and again they said, no political party should field a governor. Imagine this, no political party should field a governor. And if they do, no first row governor will vote for that kind of no party, for that party. Now, this is very simple. If these politicians will know that you cannot be president and also understand the fact that you also need the vote to support your candidacy, they must understand the damage that these, the Debra and George, Black, and the Fandex, and the England Forum, others. Because all they will do is to get votes in the vote to begin in the other political positions, read the sections of the constitution, and show me where it says that you can compel all political parties to field a governor. And, as you may have seen, this means that we will be cowed enough, and we will have to also pass the other candidates because of the elderly people in the southern part of the country. What that means is that all the voters in the northern part of the country will line up only to elect a southern candidate. They are all right. To fight, choose, and vote for a northern candidate are being compromise, and so I have given up. Now, who will accept it? Who will accept it? But can you really blame the southerners if they, this is just a campaign. I don't see them putting a gun to the head of, and I'm not in any way holding brief for them, but I'm just asking. Just as every other person has campaigned that some points are the other to say power must return to the north, whether it was constitutional or not, they were canvassing for power to be given to people in that zone. And if they're saying, well, we want political parties to do this, the political parties do not necessarily have to do what the likes of CLAC are saying, but they are obviously pushing that they want to govern a president from the south. What is wrong with that? This is not the first time zones are canvassing for somebody from their area to be put forward as president. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Absolutely nothing wrong with any section of like that. We want one of our own to be president. Absolutely nothing. That's one. Two, we have said a southerner can, she can be the president of the country and it makes us in the constitution of the federal public of the state. The constitution says, to become a president, your party must lead you and both of us must be the majority of both and you must act this. So it's not as if we're failing, no one else has the right to be president. But politicians understand this. Maybe you and I don't really understand what they're doing about it. It's about doing the hard work that some people don't want to do. You want to be president of Nigeria, you want to be in your country that's not an issue. It's very difficult to become a president of Nigeria. Then you have to compete against other candidates, other parties and convince the voters to vote for you. So, for example, for Medjugorje, there were two people from Australia there were only two people from Australia, there were two people from... So, it's kind of narrowly let's say, damningly challenging the people from particular parts of the country. Because what you did is you say, my choice is more important than yours and therefore you must do what I want to do. You can't do that. Okay, let's go back to something that you said about the North having the votes and that you would not accept to play second fiddle or second position come 2023. That was, you know, then a lot of people took that with a pinch of salt. Some people misinterpreted it, but you're here. You can help us understand what that meant because there are people who felt that that was a threat of sorts to those who were pushing for a Salden presidency. You're very polite. People were very well. Arogan, he was a teacher, he was a... He was very polite. When I said, you know, you must accept to play second fiddle I meant that no one has the right to circumcise the rights of your voters but I actually be president of this country after a few days of time to be candidates of their parties with their parties to make them candidates or to be voted more by other nations. Because if you do this, we ask the Constitution because in all of us things need to be the role of leaders and you say you vote only for the candidates. All of you can vote. Well, that's it very much, but no, it's not quite enough. We will not accept it. Not what I'm talking about. People just work to tell me what they think. Because when you say we don't want the South to play second fiddle by that. It's not our case to say the South must deal with you, you know, a right that they don't follow. It's not. If people don't understand this, if the people don't understand this, then what we have to think about is that they are so deeply involved in actually creating our leaders that they should not even opt to a real commitment. So, I'll repeat again. The North has the same right as the South to have candidates for the North as a South to be killed in. The North and the South are voters where you decide to vote if you're the president. The danger, the game we are playing now is that you could set up compounding the already existing fragile and dangerous political situation and security situation with all the concepts about political terms. But all of these... I'm sorry to talk over you. All of these sentiments that you're making reference to, the divisions that you're making reference to has always been there. How long did it take the North Nilders Forum to realize that this is what has been playing out to now wake up and say, well, we no longer care about these sentiments. We now want competence over everything else. And I'm not in any way saying we should play down on that because we need that to be able to determine who becomes the president even though sometimes that takes the back seat. But the North has been playing that card alongside with every other region in the country. So, is it that you're waking to the responsibilities of as elders, as leaders in your region to make sure that you put an end to it? Or is this just another ploy of sorts? Come to 2023. It's a question. I'm just curious. It's not boring. There's no game where we're playing that. There's not obvious other than this. And... We talk... This is not about sentiments. When some people in the North said they prefer northern countries, they are doing exactly what they are doing today. There's nothing wrong with that. The bottom line which is why we have the democratic process is, ultimately, is the democratic process that will be decided by the president. When you have ladies politicians, people who are too little, real hard, real lifted, go and complain if you're a southern candidate, go to the North, northern candidate, go to the South. Convince them that you're the best. Show them your program, show them what you do, about the security of the North, about poverty, about the tragedy. Show them what you're going to do about the everyday situation in the South. Tell them what you're going to do about crimes or of counseling. Convince them that's the real hard work people don't want to do. Let old people from the South bring the policies in the presidency and bring them... to the presidency. And we've been trying to get people to understand it. For the last six, five, five people from the northern part of the country who said they want to run. And we have not come out to say to the people of the South look, if our northerners it makes the president. Because we have demanded that each for northerners to prioritize confidence about everything we do. And we said on the 15th of January, just three days ago how he northerners is not enough. Even if you are a northerner who would criticize you as a country, I would not. We want to know who you are, we want to know what you stand for, we want to know what you bring to the presidency. We want to ask specific questions. What are you going to do about our policy? What are you going to do about this? What are you going to do about the media? Thank you for raising that. Thank you for raising the issue of insecurity. Because I was going to come to that. We saw the protest that happened. Of course, the north is saying enough is enough. We saw young people even though a couple of them were arrested for coming out to protest. But you, I remember there was a report saying that the north regrets voting the president for the past eight years. And, of course, you are also talking about what you have been experiencing for the past eight years. Why do you feel that way? The presidency, on the other hand, has said that they are doing their best to deal with the level of insecurity both in the northeast and in the northwest. Well, there is just a little help. That's a simple thing. You got in people who would defend their administration. No matter how bad the administration is, they are bound to get the hands of people who are in the United States. That the security situation is not as bad as it is. But tell them to go to Zongbada. Tell them to go to the United States. Tell them to go to Zongbada and teach a tent and spend four days. Go there. We are not creating friction over our lives in the north. Our lives have never been worse. And we don't want to continue living the life running around being ICC. We have enough problems in the north. We don't want to elect another president who will continue from where President Bahar is from. And we certainly don't want a governor who will come forward and say I'm not a governor. It's my turn to move. So you move away and give me a direct run. We wouldn't have to. I'll give you my direct run. With the president, we can must go before we vote for you. What are you going to do about ICC? What are you going to do about a bandit? If you're not like Shatla, you're prepared enough to be a nigerian president. Look for somebody else. That is a apology. It's not going to be business as usual All the president quickly before I let you go because my time is up So what is the North's going to do and talking about the NEF here? Because it's not enough to say this is what we want How do you educate the people in terms of money politics in terms of sentiments? How do they get rid of that? It's not about I'm going to ask again. Can you hear me now? Yeah So I'm asking what is the the NEF going to do going forward because we have a few months before 2023 Educating and rebranding the minds or the mindsets of people in terms of money politics sentiment Muslims Christian tickets and all of that as opposed to what you are demanding for now because it's not enough for a group of people to Say this is what we want, but then when the election comes is business as usual A lot of we have we recommend it. You know, we met Two days ago I hope it's in it because we addressed the needs for the this president Thanks to a whole battery of things which have been proposed in the Electra act. We believe they we should have sent to them It is one go that then the Right Then you can salvage what is left what you take what you want Wait for another president who will approve or will support maybe take this in the Electra first You can we won't know who will emerge who will who will command enough Enough support of course the length and breadth of Nigeria But we were willing to support it. We don't want a candidate to buy votes Okay, we don't want the candidate who will send subs to break Following this one reduce the pollution of wireless above all above all We want Nigerians to look at 2023 as a major turning point in this country Okay, we have to go. Thank you very much. Mr. Kim Baba Ahmed for speaking with us. We appreciate your thoughts Thank you for making a guess. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Well, thank you all for staying with us We'll take a short break now and when we return we discuss the options given to law makers on what to do Regarding the Electra act bill and across the PDP is talking about zoning They have been behind closed doors. What is the plight of the PDP also in Lagos state stay with us