NEF to Buhari: Don’t Allow IPOB Intimidate, Prevent Nigerians from Voting

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assert his legitimate authority on any lawless group in any part of the country, especially the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) and ensure that voters were not prevented or threatened during the general election.

Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement yesterday, decried a serious rise in groups that threaten the conduct of the elections, particularly from violent groups in the south eastern states.

The group lamented the deafening silence from leaders, elders and politicians from the region and other parts of Nigeria over the dangerous threats was also deeply disturbing.

The forum stressed that Nigerians want credible elections and a peaceful transition to the next administration, saying no group should be allowed to plunge the nation into deeper crises by tolerating threats to the elections and peace in the country.

It said: “These threats are being followed by actual attacks on government buildings and killings, including killing of policemen in the region. Without a robust challenge of these dangerous trends, those behind these lawless acts are likely to assume that they will succeed.

“Any attempt to interfere in the rights of Nigerians to participate in the election of their leaders is a serious assault on the sovereignty of Nigeria and an act that must be resisted.”

The forum stressed that threat to the elections was a threat to the democratic system, and the very foundations on which the nation, adding that If it succeeds, the threat would signal the start of other crises the country may not recover from.

“The Forum calls on the administration of President Buhari to assert its legitimate authority on any lawless group in any part of the country and ensure that voters are not prevented or threatened,” it added

The forum noted that leaders must openly condemn the outrageous threats and assure citizens who want to vote that they could do so.

It stated that politicians who want to lead must step out and condemn the threats.

It said for the avoidance of doubt, threats from groups in the south-east were cowardly and childish, stressing that those behind them should know that they would be resisted.

The forum noted that it had been consistent with its position, in conjunction with other patriotic groups that the elections must hold throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria.