Presidency, northern leaders caution against ethnic politics [Guardian]

[NewsCaster]

IN the interest of national unity and fairness, the Presidency and some Northern leaders have cautioned against introducing religion and ethnicity into politics.

The advice came at the weekend against the alleged rejection of President Goodluck Jonathan as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for the April election by a section of the Arewa Consultative Forum.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who spoke on the issue, particularly urged the people of the North West zone to shun politics of ethnicity and religion, saying it is the only way the abject poverty in the region could be addressed.

Sambo stated this at the weekend just as Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Board of Trustees (Bot) Vice Chairman, Ambassador Ladan Shuni warned that the move by some members of ACF to politicise the group may spell doom for the north and the people unless they retrace their steps and support the unity of the nation.

While declaring open the North West executive committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna at the weekend, Sambo noted that after 50 years of independence, what the country needed is a leader that could deliver Nigeria from retrogression, and most especially the north, irrespective of which part of the country the leader comes from.   

"I want to say that we are having this meeting at a very good time, at the right time because we are now planning to go into the general elections where we shall face other parties. We must avoid all other sentiments, we must tell our people that God has made us to leave together as Moslems and Christians in this country and the most important thing that we need today is who will deliver the good for us.

"I know very well that the PDP is the party to beat in all our states.  All the North West states are PDP states, and I know that you will do everything to ensure that we will continue to provide good services of the PDP to the citizens of the North West part of this country.

According to Sambo, "we have just recently celebrated our 50 years anniversary, we have come out of the struggle of independence; we have come out of the struggle of regional government.

"And as in every state and zone today, after 50 years, we are on the verge of economic advantages and development so that our people in the North West part of this country will leave above the poverty level.

Also, a statement issued at the end of the meeting which was signed by the Acting zonal Chairman of the PDP in North West, Senator Ibrahim Kazaure, expressed concern over the use of ethnic and religious sentiments by politicians.

A source at the meeting told journalists that "the meeting was originally planned to caution those executives of states where President Jonathan lost delegate votes on the implication of their action, and also advised them to work hard to ensure that they deliver their states during the April general elections."

The meeting was said to have witnessed poor turnout of key officials and chieftains of the party. It was gathered that the meeting was to, among others, review the recent performance of the various states in the northwest at the PDP presidential primary election, where some of the states refused to vote for Jonathan.

Most of the delegates and the states governors from the zone did not turn up for the meeting that lasted for about five hours. Out of the six governors from the zone, only three of them were present, but governors of Kebbi and Kaduna states sent in their deputies while their Sokoto State counterpart  neither attended nor sent representative to the meeting.

The three governors present were Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, Sule Lamido (Jigawa) as well as the Zamfara State Governor Mahmadu Aliyu Shinkafi, who came after the vice president had delivered his opening address.

Lamido, who was in Kaduna for the zonal meeting, said in an interview with journalists that the division among the ranks of the ACF members over Jonathan's candidacy of the PDP in the forthcoming Presidential election was unfortunate, saying that the statement that was released by the forum on the position of the north on the recent result of the PDP Presidential primary election was not the true reflection of the minds of the Northern elders.

Lamido said: "From what I heard, the communique was manipulated by some people. A member of the ACF in our party, Danmasani Sokoto, Ambassador Shuni was at the meeting and he told us that such issue never happened.

"It is normal all over the place with people wanting to manipulate the situation to gain advantage. So, since it never happened like that, I don't think that it is fair for me to seriously comment on it".

Besides, Shuni who also spoke on the matter said: "The communiqué is not a true position of the ACF. An ACF communiqué can only be released after the relevant committee has investigated and the report brought before the joint session of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Bot".

According to him, "it is after deliberation by this joint session that a communiqué can be issued. As far as I know, I contacted the chairman of the political committee, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau and I asked him whether the communiqué is proper. He told me that what was directed was that his committee should meet and review the primary elections of all the political parties and submit a report to the joint meeting of NEC and the Bot".

Shuni who is a former ambassador to Morocco argued further: "In fact, Gusau committee had slated Wednesday to meet as directed by NEC and later submit the committee's report after which the Bot and NEC would meet and deliberate on the report and that is the only time that a communiqué can be issued. The ACF Bot is not party to that communiqué. So, I want to state categorically that the communiqué does not reflect the position of the ACF".

Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Initiative for Development has described the emergence of Jonathan as the PDP presidential flag bearer for April general elections as an indication that Nigeria has transcended politics of ethnicity.

The group, speaking under the chairmanship of Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that successful conduct of presidential primaries by various political parties was also a major milestone in the nation's political history.

Ikiogha pointed out that even though a few individuals tried to resurrect tribal and ethnic sentiments, the emergence of President Jonathan has testified to the fact that Nigerians now prefer competence and quality leadership to any form of ethnic or religious affiliation.

But some Arewa youths have cautioned the Northern political leaders against blaming the Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki for failure of Atiku Abubakar to emerge the presidential candidate of the PDP.

The group under the aegis of the Arewa Youth Coalition (AYC) said in Abuja at the weekend that Saraki should not be the issue, alleging that with all intents and purposes "the primary was never free and fair as people were made to believe."

Speaking in a statement which was signed by the Coordinator, Mallam Yinusa Ahmed and Director of Mobilisation, Aminu Salihu, the group said the process leading to the declaration of President Jonathan was a calculated political arithmetic designed to defeat the rule of law.

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Source: Presidency, northern leaders caution against ethnic politics