Fresh crisis hit Northern Elders Forum (NEF), yesterday, over media publications signed by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Majority of the members have urged Nigerians to distance them from the publications.

The Director-General, Prof. Doknan Sheni, said Baba-Ahmed was expressing his own views and not speaking on behalf of NEF.

Baba-Ahmed had, in a statement on Monday, advised the Tinubu-led administration to communicate to Nigerians in a manner to understand why it had become necessary to go through major pains, whether inevitable or avoidable.

In a rejoinder, the forum stated: “Attention of the directorate of NEF has been drawn to a publication credited to Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy, entitled ‘Advice to the Tinubu Administration’ dated July 31, 2023. We wish to state categorically that the write-up and its contents were not the views of the directors of NEF, and, therefore, do not represent the views of NEF on the administration. It was a personal opinion of Dr. Baba-Ahmed. NEF has a procedure of approving such press releases.

“The acceptable position is that any such statements must first be subjected to scrutiny by the directorate, after which it would be forwarded to the convener for ratification. This procedure was not followed in this case. Therefore, NEF, hereby, distances itself from this publication in all its ramifications.”