Northern elders still behind Tinubu for 2023 presidency, says group

Disciples Of Jagaban (DOJ) has maintained that Northern elders are still in support of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to emerge as the next president.

Addressing a joint press conference in Kaduna yesterday, the national coordinator of DOJ, Abdulhakeem Adegoke, and the national youth leader, Haruna Adaraushe, described the former Lagos State governor as the bridge between the north and the south and the reason Nigeria still remains as a country.

Reminded that his call for Tinubu’s presidency bid was coming at a time some northern elders were clamouring for the north to retain power beyond 2023, Alawuje said: “We know those who are elders in the north, and there must be opposition. If Asiwaju (Tinubu) is coming out without opposition, it is not politics. Are the opposition (elements) representing the interest of the north or doing it for their own selfish interest? That is an important question we need to ask.

“We need a competent and charismatic leader, which is Asiwaju. He contributed immensely to the success of APC. President Buhari had tried severally to led the country, but to no avail until Asiwaju’s support in 2015.”

Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has commended Northern elder statesman, Mallam Isa Funtua, for his support for a president of Igbo extraction in 2023.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the national president of OYC, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, urged southeast governors to emulate Governor Dave Umahi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declare openly their political alliance with Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) government, as one of them would be favoured as Buhari’s successor.

This followed Umahi’s comment that although he was a card-carrying member of PDP, he would always align with Buhari.

OYC, therefore, urged Umahi to officially join the APC.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide lauds the chairman of Southeast Governors’ Forum (SEGF) and Ebonyi State governor for his bold stance of being 100 APC per cent inwardly, irrespective of being a card-carrying member of PDP.

“Other southeast governors should emulate Umahi and declare openly their political alliance with Buhari’s APC government, as one of them is favoured and predicated to be Buhari’s successor in 2023, and Igbo youths are solidly behind them.

“The Northern elder statesman, Mallam Isa Funtua’s statement on Igbo presidency project 2023 is a good signal that the Igbo are designed by fate, destined by God and favoured by Nigerians, irrespective of tribe and religion, to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023,” OYC stated.