The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has said that it is, as usual, worried by “the growing uncertainties created by certain destabilizing forces in the country surrounding the May 2029 transition to a new administration elected through the democratic poll processes of February 2023.

The CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday noted that “these concerns have been variously hinted at by the nation’s apex security organ, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), the Military high command and the Nigeria Police Force without visible proactive measures put in place to nip them.”

He maintained that the CNG is also worried about reports that some top officials of the outgoing administration are planning to leave the country ahead of the handover, obviously in a bid to cover-up their serial misconduct in office and to avoid being called to account.

He added, “We are especially worried by reports that Godwin Emefiele who has held one of the most important offices in the country as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria throughout all the years of Nigeria’s economic and financial turmoil, is among those planning to flee abroad.”

Observations

The CNG observed that “just recently, precisely on Monday, May 15, 2023, the Nigeria Police headquarters confirmed that plots to scuttle the May 29th official inauguration of the new administration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors at the state level are real.

“We observe that earlier, on May 4 2023, the nation’s Military High Command also alerted on plans to scuttle the May 29 handover and warned the plotters to shelve the idea.

“It specifically said its officers are on standby to forestall any unwanted happening in the country before, during and after the transition.

“We observe also that two weeks earlier, the Defence Headquarters had raised the same alarm that some individuals are plotting with foreign collaborators to disrupt the May 29 inauguration and vowed to track them down.

“We observe that much earlier, the Department of State Services (DSS) had confirmed a clandestine plot by some politicians to derail the handover and install an interim government in Nigeria.

“The CNG has observed also that allegations are growing strong of Emefiele’s planned study leave abroad, presumably to escape Nigeria before the inauguration and avoid questions around alleged terrorism financing, other economic and financial misdemeanors and the introduction of the currency redesign policy in a bid to create obstacles for Tinubu during the presidential campaign which ended up in mass national suffering and confusion.

“We also note some state governors represented by Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State have raised the alarm that the the alarm that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman plans an unjust isolated probe of only outgoing governors while excluding the Federal Government functionaries and even the Presidency.

“We also observe that the EFCC boss is making this vow without mention of scrutinizing the EFCC itself were recent reports made an embarrassing revelation of officers fighting to the point of death over recovered items in Sokoto”, the CNG stared.

CNG’s Stand

“It is in view of these and other potential national threats and likely impediments to the smooth takeoff of the incoming administration, that the CNG declares the following definite positions:

ON Plots Against Handover

“1. To strongly repudiate, in all ramifications, any attempt by any individual or group, to bring about any situation that could lead to scuttling or in anyway postponing the scheduled handover of leadership to the new duly elected federal administration of Bola Tinubu and state governors on May 29.

“2. To demand from the DSS urgent proactive action to checkmate the maneuvers of the perpetrators of the evil scheme and, most importantly, to trace and expose the extent of the plot, arrest and prosecute not only the executors of the plot, but its sponsors and all individuals or groups in anyway linked to it.

“3. To invite the DSS to note that Nigerians would not be disposed to accepting situations deliberately caused by vested personal interests, under whatever guise, that potentially threaten destruction and collective mayhem, or bring about greater conflicts that could lead to mass killings and suffering of innocent people.

“4. To demand that anybody or group found remotely involved with the financing, direct execution or concealing information on this sinister and diabolic scheme, be treated appropriately as a treasonable felon and enemy of the state and fellow citizens.

“5. To hold it ridiculous and insane for people with dubious political interests should want to disrupt an otherwise peaceful and orderly democratic process even while candidates and parties directly involved with the process have opted for the path of honour by seeking redress in the court of law.

“6. We repeat here, that on no account should Nigerians be expected to accept a replication of the unfolding deadly conflicts across African countries incited by powerful foreign interests.

On Fleeing Plans By Officials

“We demand that security agencies in the country including all the anti-graft agencies work in synergy and ensure that all critical office holders in the outgoing administration such as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele did not sneak out of the country before May 29th.

“We demand that when the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari bows out of office all key office holders must be asked to clear themselves of all pending corruption and other allegations against them.

“We insist, in particular, that the CBN governor must be made to give an account of his tenure to the incoming administration.
We demand that if any study leave has been approved for Emefiele or any other suspected official, it should be canceled in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability and good governance.”

On EFCC

“We reject the purported plan to limit the searchlight to only outgoing state governors and demand demand that the EFCC Chairman carries out a wholistic probe by extending the beam on the Presidency, Federal Government ministries, parastatals and cabinet members of the outgoing administration.

“We also demand a thorough search into allegations against the EFCC itself as well as the disabling volume of debt amassed for the country by the outgoing administration”, the CNG Spokesperson said.

A meeting of Northern Nigerian elite and other critical components of the Northern society has reached a consensus that the North having played the most significant role in the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at February presidential elections, becomes the automatic claimant to the position of the Senate President.

The elite consensus was reached in Kaduna at a colloquium organized by the Democracy Watch Initiative with the theme “Inclusive Participation for sustainable Democracy” under the Chairmanship of former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Various speakers at the event which was attended by several civil society, women, youth and trade groups, concluded that the northern voter has done his job and it is now payback time.

Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in his address delivered virtually, noted that some people voted because of convictions over qualities of candidates, some because they were induced; some along faith lines and others along party lines.

The result, he said, was that the North was the only region that gave all the candidates huge votes and made the difference in terms of who became elected at presidential level.

“The northern voter has done his job,” he said.

He advised individuals and groups lobbying for positions for northern legislators to be conscious of a number of things.

“First, the best thing is to respect the independence of the legislature and allow members to choose their leaders,” he said.

Hakeem warned that the North does not want just any legislator from the North to become Speaker but one that should have the highest personal integrity and a good idea of how his position can help him.

“All of them contesting should submit to a process by which their fellow contestants nominate them and then support.

“The same thing should be done at Senate level.If they who know each other better than us cannot decide who will serve our interests as Northerners best, then we stop campaigning for all of them.

“We do not want legislators who want to be in positions of power to fulfill personal ambition,” Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said.

Another speaker, Prof Abubakar Abdulllahi, while supporting the calls for the North to be compensated, said democracy is never given its taken and who ever came in come with his interest.

“People have to negotiate with you for votes and for sharing of positions,” he said.

Other speakers, Dr Sadiq Gombe, Prof Abubakar Jika jiddere all agreed that the North should be the rightful claimant to the senate president position.

They however all concur on democratic election as the best and only acceptable means of credible leadership selection and called on the political parties particularly the ruling APC to respect democratic values and allow the legislators choose leaders for themselves.

The controversy trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning formula for the position of presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly is yet to abate, as youths drawn from the North Central have said the region would not settle for anything less.

The youths, under the aegis of the North Central Youths Stakeholders Forum and North Central Youths Stakeholders Forum and the Middle Belt Forum, specifically said the region would only accept the Senate Presidency and Speakership of the House of Representatives.

In a statement, the Leader of the NCYSF, Mohammed A Mohammed, said the groups were behind the decision reached at the recent meeting held by governors of the region and National Assembly members-elect, not to accept the decision of the party.

Mohammed contended that the APC zoning arrangement was a deliberate attempt to undermine the contributions of the North-Central to the survival of the party and its victory at the February 25th general elections and subsequent polls.

He said: “We find it unbecoming that other regions that performed abysmally at the polls are given preference in zoning arrangement of the APC NWC while relegating the North Central which contributed optimally to the victory of the APC and its Presidential Candidate would be literally denied any principal position in the coming National Assembly.

“It is all the more insulting that even to consider the North Central for the third position in the legislative houses is subject of debate and speculation.

“In the light of this, we wish to invite the intervention of all stakeholders in the APC to impress on the NWC of the party and all those behind this agenda to rescind, withdraw, review and reverse this unpopular decision and in the alternative, allow the elected federal legislators to form their leadership.”

He called on the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to stand on the side of truth and justice by supporting the North Central.

“We call on the incoming President to do all he could to reclaim his statesmanship by supporting what clearly is the popular will of the people against those who want to subvert it.

It does not gladden anyone to think that the relegation of the North Central after the central role it played in the emergence of the coming administration in spite of all the odds, is calculated to diminish the rising political relevance of the region.

“For the avoidance of doubt therefore, and for those who have ears to hear, the North Central would never settle for any other position lower than the Senate Presidency and Speakership of the House of Representatives,” he said