Northern coalition urges electorates to vote for credible candidates

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has cautioned electorates to place priority on credible and competent candidate while making a choice instead of political parties.

CNG accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of infusing money bag in politics, citing their recent primaries where delegates believed to have been bankrolled to vote a choice presidential candidates.

Addressing a press conference in Kano, the spokesman of the Northern groups, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman insisted that voters especially those of the Northern extraction must resist the usual trick of political elites in the region.

CNG spokesman viewed the conduct of president primaries in APC and PDP as foundation for a final entrenchment of culture where money remains the only deciding factor in Nigeria politics.

“We are also worried that the glaring impunity with which aspirants to the presidential tickets of especially the two major parties induced their respective party delegates has ultimately left the millions of Nigerian voters with the hard and only choice between two traditional old war horses for the presidency,” Abdul-Azeez said.

He said it is high time the region considered candidate with capacity to identify and address problems around security architecture, economy and education in the North.

Abdul-Azeez, who warned against the risk of voter apathy in the next general election, called on eligible voters to ensure they get their permanent voter card as the only means they have to chase out bad governance.

Earlier, CNG Chairman board of Trustees, Nastura Ashraf, declared that Nigerians have decided to ignore full participation in the ongoing voter registration because of their disappointment in the administration of president Muhammadu Buhari.

Ashraf worried that despite huge support and commitment enjoyed by president Muhammadu Buhari’s government, especially from the Northern region, the citizens are highly disappointed by the prevailing insecurity, economic instability and high rate of poverty in the entire country.

He urged Northern voters to remain vigilant and rather vote for any candidate that will end the economic woo and return peace and tranquility to the land as president.