Northern coalition hails Tinubu, Shettima on election victory

… urges him to carry everybody along irrespective of their differences

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, on Thursday extended its congratulatory message to the All Progressives Congress President elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President elect, Kashim Shettima.

The group also described a letter written by a former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as ‘satanic.’

Reading an already prepared speech on behalf of the CNG, in Abuja, spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, urged Tinubu to keep to his promises and address the security and economic challenges bedeviling the country.

He said, “Specifically, we congratulate the newly elected President and to remind him that Nigerian voters trusted him to lead them in the hope for a leadership that will make them more secure and provide their children with a productive future.

“We therefore urge him to be magnanimous in victory by carrying everybody along irrespective of tribe, religion, region or political affiliation and to operate an open all inclusive government.

We appreciate the incoming President’s humility, and maturity displayed in his acceptance speech.

“We urge him to keep to his promise of being just to all sections of the country in terms of spread of federal projects and to be prudent in assembling the team that will assist him in the task of seeing Nigeria through and out of its current limitations around security and the economy; and of leading our nation into a future in which we will live secure lives and pursue livelihoods in a united, strong, prosperous Nigeria whose resources will be protected by leaders.”

Reacting to Obasanjo’s letter, CNG said, “We also appreciate the manner Nigerians resisted the temptation in the satanic letter of Obasanjo intended to incite them to violence and anarchy and instead chose to offer a verdict for peace and harmony.

“To condemn with all our might the undue invention of Obasanjo that potentially incites public disorder and aim to set the country up in flames for the sake of his personal political interest in one candidate.

“Obasanjo should note that he has long stripped himself of any claim to statesmanship and patriotism having turned into a potent agent of destabilization.

“We hold that with this latest action, Obasanjo has finally bared himself of any remaining streak of integrity and the authorities should take steps to strip him of all national honours including the GCON.”

The group further called on the judiciary to be fair in dealing with electoral disputes that would come before them for adjudication.

CNG added that it observed some manipulation of votes in the Southeast, saying that they would react appropriately in subsequent elections.

The group said, “One of the lessons is that while the North, in its usual accommodating spirit and democratic tolerance was able to play decent politics that allowed all candidates of the four major parties secure substantial and in some cases majority votes across northern Nigerian states, the situation was drastically different in particularly the South-east where votes were manipulated and confined solely for their son.

“In this regard, and for the avoidance of doubt, the North has heard the message loud and clear and shall pay coin for coin in any elections that may come up now or in the future.

“Finally, the CNG recommits to its principles of never to lower the bar where the interests of the North, the unity and security of Nigeria, or the welfare of all citizens are involved.”