2023: We’ll recommend presidential candidate to Nigerians ― South, Middle Belt leaders

The Chief Edwin Clark-led Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has signalled its intention to engage with Southern presidential candidates of political parties with a view to recommending one of them to voters in the 2023 election.

This was part of the resolution members of the group reached at their meeting over the weekend in Abuja, where they also praised political parties that picked their presidential candidates from the South.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and made available to the media in Abuja on Monday, the Forum reiterated its stance on power rotation to the South just as it lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others that selected their flag bearers from the North.

Addressing the outcome of party primaries, the communique noted: “SMBLF firmly reiterates its stance on the principle of zoning and power rotation between the North and the South, as the fulcrum on which the Nigerian Federation has, since independence, been premised;

“Accordingly, commends the political parties, which in line with the need for national cohesion, equity, fairness and justice, have nominated their presidential candidates from the South, particularly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), People’s Redemption Party(PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and others;

“Further deplores the insensitivity of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties, including Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Allied People’s Movement (APM), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Young Progressive Party (YPP), in nominating Presidential candidates from the North for the 2023 election, in total disregard of the time-honoured principle of rotation;

“Commits to, in due course, engage with the appropriate Presidential candidates and afterwards decide on which of the candidates to recommend to the peoples of Southern Nigeria, the Middle Belt region and indeed, all Nigerians of goodwill, for consideration at the polls in 2023.”

The Forum also assessed the preparation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 exercise, urging young Nigerians who have attained voting age to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise to affirm their constitutional rights.

While noting the upsurge in voter registration, the SMBLF however condemned the haphazard nature of the exercise in parts of the country, calling for
proper management of the process and even distribution of the Voter Enrolment Devices across the country, to ensure that all eligible Nigerians, in all locations, are registered to vote.

The Forum cautioned that given certain disturbing reports, INEC must abhor unwholesome practices that would distort the credibility of the 2023 general elections, particularly, in its application of technology through the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and transmission of election results.

On the state of the nation and worsening insecurity, the Forum stated: “That the state of insecurity in the country is worsening by the day, with devastating impacts on the welfare and livelihood of ordinary Nigerians, thus, calls on the Federal government to take urgent steps to stem the tide and assuage the suffering of Nigerians;

“Forum denounces the spate of targeted terrorist attacks on Churches and abduction of Church leaders, in the country;

“In this connection, condemns, in strongest terms, the daring attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on June 5 by gunmen, killing no fewer than 40 people and injuring many other worshippers; describes as worrisome the hasty and doubtful conclusion by the Federal Government that the dastardly act was carried out by the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP;

“Further condemns the incessant killings of the indigenous peoples and decimation of Communities in the Middle Belt Region, in particular, the current escalated war on Southern Kaduna, targeting Communities and Churches in Kajuru Local Government Area of the State, with reports of helicopters dropping weapons and supplies to the terrorists in their locations;

“SMBLF equally decried the continued confinement of victims of the Kaduna Train attack in the terrorists’ labyrinth after 89 days as well as several other Nigerians who have been held by terrorists and criminals for months; calls on the Federal Government and security agencies to secure the safe release of all victims;

“Warns that the ambiguity of the Federal Government and the failure of the security agencies to decisively deal with these situations, buttress concerns that officials of the Federal Government and security agents are complicit in the security anomalies in the country;

“Warns that the continuous abdication of the Government’s primary and abiding constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of dance of extant laws, which have not deterred terrorists the use of weapons even superior to those of the security agencies;

“Reiterates the imperative of State Police in the internal Security Architecture of the Federation and urges the Federal Government and the National Assembly, to ensure the requisite legislative instrument in this regard rather than indulging in meaningless lamentations.”

The communique also expressed dismay at the ongoing strike by university-based unions, saying: “SMBLF expresses great concern over the continuous closure of Nigerian public universities due to the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and urges both the Federal Government and ASUU to take all necessary steps to urgently bring this situation to an end and let the students return to their lectures, in the interest of the nation’s future and development.

“The Meeting observed a minute silence in honour of the victims of the Owo and Kajuru attacks as well as others whose lives are daily being wasted across the country and prayed for the peaceful repose of their souls.”

The communique was signed by Chief Clark as Leader SMBLF/PANDEF; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader, Afenifere; Dr Pogu Bitrus, President-General, Middle Belt Forum; Ambassador Okey Emuchay, and
Secretary-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide for the President-General.

According to the communique, among leaders present at the meeting were
General Lekwot Zamani, Obong Victor Attah, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Chief Gary Igwariwey, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Amb. Godknows Igali, Dr Solomon Arase, Chief Barr. Sola Ebiseni,
Potter Dabup, Eze Ibe Nwosu, Dr Ferdinand Agu, Professor G. G. Darah, Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff, Ambassador Eddy Onuoha, Hon. Edward Pwajok, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, and Professor Charles Nwekeaku.

Others are Dame Betty Igbeyi, Obonganwan Grace Ekong, Chief Edozie Ezeugwa, Dr Ebun Sonaiya, Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo, Dr Emmanuel Akpanobong, Dr Mrs Esther Mangzha, Mrs Beatrice Eze, Mrs Elizabeth A. Jibrin, Debrah M. Ogazuma, Mrs Chika Ibeneme, Elder Mac Emakpore, Chief Douyi Douglas-Naingba, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, Chief Dr Ominimini Obiuwevbi, Hon. Vivien Ere, Chief Sir Chika Okafor, Bishop Dr Jonathan Dike JP, Hon. Jonathan Asake, Audu Samuel Riko, Chief Henry Ihennelo, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, Dr Katch Ononuju, Hon. Joshua Bawa, Caleb Osiobe, Jonathan Tsaku and Ken Robinson, among others.

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