 The Northern Elders Forum says Nigeria must shift from considerations like ethnicity, religion and sectionalism in the selection of leaders rather than adopt a more inclusive approach that would sustain the nation's democracy for the interest of citizens. The Northern Elders gave the advice at a one-day seminar on sustainable democracy in Kaduna State, with a theme inclusive participation for sustainable democracy, aimed at deliberating on ways to address the challenges of leadership selection in Nigeria. Speaking, the Kandvin and Asirudambhata said they have set an agenda for the incoming government to ensure fairness and equity. We are here to set agenda for the incoming government. We want justice, fairness, equity and balance based on merits, based on the performance of respected geopolitical zones. There are contributions to the emergence of the current administration. We are here to deal with the issues that have divided us in the past and we are trying to evolve a framework through which we can address those past challenges so that the past doesn't repeat itself. They added that for democracy to thrive in the nation there is need for inclusiveness and equal participation of all the regions, irrespective of the cultural and ethnicities the Northern Elders Forum noted that sustaining Nigeria's democracy would require that the interests of the nation be placed above individuals or regional interests. Democracy is all about inclusiveness. There is no way we can promote democracy without adequate and equal participation of all citizens regardless of their social, economic or political status within a society. Inclusive participation is both a requirement and of course an achievement for sustainable democracy meaning that there is no country that can establish democracy without full participation of the citizens or promote it without active participation of the ordinary citizens. The point is we are saying that you have Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria. Now if you allow the leadership of the National Assembly to go to the south what is left in the north? The executives don't in the north. The judiciary is not in the north. The legislation is not in the north and this north has contributed as I said 63.5% of the total vote that led to the victory of the president. So the north deserve and not only deserve the north has a right to assume the leadership of the National Assembly.