Northerners won't be coerced; next president will come from the north – Northern Group

Leader of the Northern Consensus Movement, Auwal Abdullahi, has said that the northerners will not be coerced or intimidated into accepting the decision of the South ahead of the 2023 elections.

Ahead of the upcoming 2023 general election, some regions are calling for a rotation of the presidential seat. This move according to the group will not be possible until the northern region completes its fourteen-year rule.

Auwal was of the opinion that, the South has ruled the country for fourteen years while the north has been in power for ten years and so to balance the scale the north has to complete the remaining four years left.

The leader who was speaking at a media briefing said it is important northerners collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) to enable them to vote during the 2023 elections.

Expressing his confidence in winning the presidential seat, he was of the view that with the North holding the largest population in the country, the highest number of votes will come from the North.

He however noted that they are not requesting for a third term on power but to complete the 14-year cycle already carried out by the South.

The scholar revealed that they are opened to any candidate with patriotism, national thinking and love for all Nigerians despite tribe or religion.

“Politics is a game of numbers and we have the numbers. We are 120 million in population from the north and the Fulanis have 40 million in population and if you put that together that will give you 160 million out of approximately 210 million population in the country.

"In Nigeria today, we have forgotten credibility, patriotism, nationalism, love for one another. All we are talking about is tribe, religion, or region in terms of leadership. We are not looking at proper education. By that, we are been intimidated that because the present leadership of the country is been led by a northerner, we are been threatened that the power must shift to the other part of Nigeria and we are saying that we still have a balance of four years even after president Buhari leaves in 2023.

"We cannot be intimidated or harassed or coerced by either the governors of the south-south or any social cultural organization into leaving our mandate for jettison because of harassment or intimidation. We are saying that we must complete the balance of four years to make it fourteen years. From 1999 to date, southern part of Nigeria would’ve ruled for fourteen years and the north will complete its four years to make it fourteen years before the issue of the rotational presidency will come.

"Let Nigerians determine the next president. Let the ballot box decide who will become the next president. Let the votes counts and let the voters decide who becomes the next president. This is our position. This is the standing of the north. And we cannot even be coerced or intimidated by even our own northern governors cannot decide for us who become or take over the mantle of the new leadership.

"As far as northern Nigeria is concerned, Northerners will fill in a candidate from whatever political party and we will vote in a candidate that we feel has the patriotism, nationalistic thinking, qualified, who will love both northerners and southerners and every Nigerian, either at home or abroad,” he said.

Some Nigerians however, have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the Islamic scholar’s statement.

@Enebi Moses

“This guy don't even understand politics. For a candidate to be declare a winner of a general election, he must earn 60% votes Frome every region. We need ourselves Mr man.
If your population is this huge why not form arewa country to avoid competition before we talk of winning.”

@Edward Don Anthony

“When you are advice to stop taking cheap drugs, you will not listen. You see the effect on your statement now. What's the source of that statistics? 120m eligible northern voters and 40m Eligible Fulani voters. We are waiting”

@Mike Kunle

“Ok now, how is southern part going to balance all your military wasted years that you people ruined NIGERIA? Calculating the years North spent as military leaders of this country, the South supposed to rule for 20 years b4 we start rotation. Remember north always ruin NIGERIA and take it 20 years backward.”

@Oseni Murphy

“This guy is mad, to start with, is Fulani not northerner? (2) By 2023 the fulani's will complete their 8 years of bad governance, mismanagement and hardship. Do they want to spend 12 years so that all Nigerian will die as a result of their bad governance? (3) If the north have that population as he claimed, the north is okay to stand as a country now! So what are they still doing in Nigeria? God the good people of Nigeria and punish the bad people destroying the country claiming they own Nigeria.”

@Salau Laynka

“Nigeria youth you guys are laughing it a serious matter these people are damn serious about this and you're laughing about it this one of the reason why each region are shouting for division let each other go separate ways so that we can solve this problem separately or to be sincere this they're calling for civil war with this”

@Rosemary Osara

“When did he count Nigerians to arrive at this number? Is he talking about the Fulanis that are infiltrating into Nigeria from Lake Chad, Equatorial Guinea etc?

Enough is enough, it is high time some people know that Nigeria is not their personal property. Power, power is all they are after but they forget that all power belongs to God Almighty and no one else. When the time is right He will do the needful by putting arrogant foolish politicians in their proper places. God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sows so shall he reap and when a rope is too tight, it soon breaks. Arrogant politicians, start reading the hand writing on the wall because your Waterloo is on it's way.”

@Anderson Ejomafuvwe

“The numbers he is quoting is idiotic he added Niger republic etc, if you are so sure of the numbers why are you people afraid of electronic transmission of election results? Nincompoops., Am so happy that the North is giving reasons for breakaway. Please we should forward the video to our idiotic southern one Nigeria apologetics.”