Razaq Bamidele
A northern pro-democracy group, Arewa Development Agenda (ADA), has warned the leadership of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), against imposition of the sitting Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan as the party’s candidate will lead to the party’s failure in the election.
The group, at a well-attended press conference addressed by its chairman, Mohamed Danlami, in Abuja, on Thursday, said, APC will lose power next year if it fields Lawan, saying he is not competent to rule the country.
While warning that, fielding him would spell failure to the party, the group accused him of ignoring the plights of Northerners suffering from insurgency; asserting that, “APC will lose election if it imposes him as presidential candidate on the party.”
Leader of the Group, Mohammed Danlami, who incidentally, is from the same state as the Senate President described the Number three citizen of the country as an incompetent and uncaring leader who has compromised the effectiveness of the Senate since his inception as president of the upper chamber.
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In the text of the press statement captioned: ‘Nigerians must reject opportunistic aspirants like Lawan’ expressed serious discontentment, the audacity with which the President of the Nigerian Senate, Mr Ahmad Lawan, has been going about his recent declaration to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and at the same time eyeing the senate seat!
ADA wondered aloud, “why, after he has allegedly obtained a Form to return to the Senate he suddenly obtained another Form to contest for the presidency under the same Party,” believing that, “this, in normal circumstances, should disqualify him automatically from contesting for both offices apart from the fact that this demonstrates a confused state of mind from someone who aspires to the highest office in the country.”
He development, according to the statement, “demonstrates a man of inconsistency and uncertainty as to his real interest and exhibits comprehensive ignorance of the purpose of governance,” asserting that, “this is not the type of mind-set that Nigeria requires for leadership at this volatile moment of the country.”
While reminding that, “We are already in election mood preparatory to the 2023 general elections and all concerned Nigerians and organizations must be interested in what direction Nigeria takes henceforth and how to fix the different challenges confronting the country.” ADA reminded that, “leadership is key in finding lasting solutions to our challenges and, therefore, we must get it right this time.”
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In so doing, the group continued, “all hands must be on deck to guide the electorates and the political Parties on the choice of their presidential candidates because this is no time to play nebulous politics with our common destiny,” adding however that, “though, we as northerners are impressed by the general opinions in the major political Parties tending towards supporting power remains in the North come 2023, we are however not just thinking of just any Northerner taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari but the best presidential material that the North can provide.”
The group further stated categorically that, “Nigeria needs an intelligent, visionary, determined, courageous and creative leader at this historic juncture of its existence and these qualities are, with due respect, glaringly absent in Distinguished Senator Lawan,” suggesting that, “If APC wishes to lose the next presidential election they may go ahead to impose him on the Party.”
Concluding, the group threatened that, “be that as it may, we wish to state, that we shall, with every legitimate means, oppose whatever attempt by a very few to impose such as incompetent leader on Nigeria ahead of 2023 under whatever guise,” promising to always. continue to guard our democracy jealously.”
