NEF’s call for Buhari’s resignation

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign. The group called for the immediate resignation of the president because of the killings across the country, especially in the North, which the government has not been able to arrest. The NEF Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the call, stated that “the administration of President Buhari does not appear to have answers to the challenges of security to which we are exposed. We cannot continue to live and die under the dictates of killers, kidnappers, rapists and sundry criminal groups that have deprived us of our rights to live in peace and security. Our constitution has provisions for leaders to voluntarily step down if they are challenged by personal reasons or prove incapable of leading. It is now time for President Buhari to seriously consider that option since his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security for Nigerians.”

This is the second time the NEF has called for the president’s resignation.  In December last year, the group made the same call following the beheading of over 67 farmers in Zabarmari village in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State. The group declared that the Federal Government had breached Section 14 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which made security and welfare the sole purpose of government. On its part, the presidency has responded to the latest call by stating that the resignation of the president is not a solution to the security problems facing the country.  The president’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, maintained that the security challenges were the product of decades of neglect. He argued that the NEF should recognise the efforts being made by the government to improve on the performance of the security agencies. He stated further that the presidency was not ready to be “drawn into the high-decibel show in the media”, adding that the security agencies had since intensified ongoing operations to address the recent spike in terrorist activity, particularly in Kaduna and Niger states, and in the Niger Delta region.

We remind the presidency that the anxiety over insecurity is not a partisan political matter. It has reached crisis point across the country.  The House of Representatives has at different times expressed worry over the rising insecurity in the country. In December last year, shortly after the killing of dozens of farmers in Borno State, it summoned President Buhari to address it on the security challenges in the country. The event was later cancelled. The House had also at different times met the service chiefs on matters of insecurity.

We call on the presidency to listen to Nigerians and rise to the occasion. Although the statement by the NEF sounds harsh, it is echoing the voice and expressing the feelings of millions of Nigerians. Members of the NEF are from the northern part of Nigeria like President Buhari.  They are therefore people who would ordinarily not call on him to step down. They do not represent the opposition parties. He should therefore take them seriously. They have made a case based on concrete experiences in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and other states that have witnessed gruesome killings of hapless citizens by terrorists and bandits. The killings have been horrendous. Blood has been shed with impunity, with mass burials.  The Federal Government has never come to the people’s rescue at any time in these horrendous situations. This must not continue.

There are many issues that have been raised concerning security in Nigeria by various groups. These include the issue of decentralised policing, engagements and dialogue with politicians and groups to seek the lowering of tensions and stresses, and security sector reforms.  We join the NEF to condole with families who have lost members and pray with those whose members were kidnapped that they will be re-united without further delay. We call on the Federal Government to take effective measures to keep its promise to the nation that security will be handled with firmness.

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