Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s for allegedly misusing power and lopsided appointments since the inception of the present administration.
A statement on Friday issued by Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere Spokesperson, Northern Elders Forum, warned that the continued disregard of the principles of equity, justice, and inclusivity threatens the very fabric of Nigeria’s unity.
Jiddere said the Northern Elders were compelled to make this public statement by way of drawing attention to the threats being posed to “our democratic order of government by the systematic pursuit of a regional/sectional agenda by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since it came to office after the general elections in May 2023.”
According to NEF, “Despite its dignified silence on many travesties committed by this administration in the interest of tranquility and with the hope that the administration will see its way towards mending its gross mistakes, NEF is forced by the continued disdain shown by the government to issue this statement to absolve itself and to restrain the government from taking this country towards the brink of despair and disillusionment which it cannot afford at this time in its history.
“NEF has observed with much dismay and regret, that since its coming to office, this administration has created some anomalies in the philosophy of governance which is characterized by arbitrary disdain for public opinion, a sense of impunity and lack of accountability to the norms of democratic governance which is reflected essentially in the respect for constitutionalism, rule of law and due process.
“This being the case, NEF finds it necessary to remind the government and the Nigerian public that Nigeria’s federal system is predicted on two principles – constitutionalism and inclusiveness.
“Our democracy is underpinned by the Federal Character Principle which is enshrined in our constitution.
“Therefore, all appointments into federal offices and the citing of federal projects must be predicated on these provisions and time honoured practices of government.
“Secondly, our democracy recognises the diversity and spread of our nation consisting of various ethnic and linguistic groups, regions and religious persuasions.
“As such, every appointment made by the president of this country should take these diversities into account.
“Our democracy is also underpinned by social contract between the state and the people which is essentially what Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution stipulates.
“Our attachment to the sanctity of the rule of law must likewise be demonstrated by our commitment to the independence of our judiciary and the impartial administration of justice in Nigeria, as well as the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
“The rule of law extends also to the control and democratic oversight of the Military, the Police Force and all National Security Agencies and their serving personnel.
“Accordingly, NEF places on record its abhorrence of the persistent breach of the above ground rules of our democracy by the Tinubu administration particularly in its undisguised and blatant pattern of unfair, unequal, and heavily skewed federal appointments since it came into office in 2023.
“These appointments have overwhelmingly favoured one region only – the South-West region, to the detriment of the other five geopolitical zones of the country.
“This practice not only undermines the spirit of national unity, but also blatantly violates the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended), which in Chapter 2, Section 14(3), clearly states:
”The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and to promote national unity, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”
Jiddere pointed out that the Constitution not only requires adherence to the Federal Character Principle in the allocation of political appointments, bureaucratic positions, and the distribution of socio-economic resources across the country, but also emphasises the adherence to the rule of law by any government of the country.
The NEF further expressed concern over the recent composition of the National Census Committee, which it said, was not only grossly and blatantly lopsided in favour of the South-West, but also appeared to be systematically designed to exclude other regions of the country.
“This exclusionary approach is a clear violation of the constitution and an affront to our democratic values such as fairness, inclusiveness, justice, and balanced representation.
“Historically, the conduct of national censuses in Nigeria have been sensitive affairs fraught with serious implications to national unity and the integrity of the exercises themselves.
“Therefore, holding a census exercise is a critical and sensitive matter, one that must enjoy the confidence and participation of all geopolitical zones.
“Any attempt to marginalize or suppress the interests of other regions risks undermining the legitimacy, accuracy, and national acceptance of the census outcome.
“Need we therefore, remind the government that one of the causes of the demise of the First Republic was the disquiet that was created by the national census exercises of 1962, which came after the rejection by a section of this country of the earlier exercises conducted in 1952-53.”
The NEF, therefore, demands the immediate disbanding of the Committee whose supposed duties are in the first place not very clear, and secondly, whose creation is an unnecessary duplication of work that is primarily entrusted to the National Population Commission (NPC) which is the statutory body charged with the conduct of census in Nigeria.
“The questionable process of the constitution of the Committee is further challenged by the fact that it was inaugurated by an official with no constitutional prerogative to do so, who seemed to have usurped the role of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) among other entitled officials.
“From the foregoing, NEF calls for a holistic review and equitable redistribution of all federal appointments so far made in all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to reflect true national diversity and constitutional compliance.
“It also calls for a more equitable and judicious allocation of all appointments to be made by the administration in future.
”The sustained marginalization of certain regions breeds resentment, deepens divisions, and could fuel avoidable instability in the country and also undermine our democracy.
“Nigeria is a diverse nation bound by a common destiny. Preserving its unity requires leadership that is fair, inclusive, and guided by the rule of law and respect for the provisions of the constitution of our country.
“The fact that the incumbent administration came into office through a nationwide electoral exercise in which all the regions and sections of this country participated, with the lion’s share of the votes coming from the North, should instruct that certain liberties ought not to be taken unduly, especially those that affect the sensitivities of Nigerians everywhere.
“NEF strongly calls upon the National Assembly (NASS) especially the Senate, to live up to expectation of Nigerians and protect our civil and constitution spaces, by responsibly and fearlessly playing their constitutional roles of oversight and ensuring compliance by the executive to the rule of law in all matters of policy, governance and administration,” the statement said.
