Katsina Senior Citizens Decry Atiku’s Endorsement by NEF

By Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Senior Citizen’s Forum has decried the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, by the group it described as the “factional group of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF)”, urging Nigerians to disregard the endorsement.

The Northern Elders Forum, led by Ango Abdullahi among other groups, recently at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja backed Atiku to “unseat” President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reacting to the endorsement, the Katsina State Chairman of the Senior Citizens, Justice Nasir Mamman, in a statement Wednesday, said the “factional” group had no jurisdictional power to speak for the northerners.

The statement quoted Justice Mamman as saying: “We stand by our earlier decision to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Bello Masari for president and governor of Katsina State for 2019. We are satisfied with the peace and unity they preached in the country.”

The statement, however, admonished politicians to show decorum and play politics according to the rules instead of making inflammatory statements capable of generating chaos in the country.

“The political tension in the country should immediately be doused for peaceful campaigns based on issues devoid of blackmail, which is capable of creating chaos.

“Nigerian statesmen should desist from overheating the polity and allow electorate to decide who should be their leaders. Our traditional leaders have a vital role to play as such should be involved in peace keeping and forthcoming election,” the statement added.