By Gbadebo Adeagbo
The Tinubu/Southwest Media Veterans Support Group has taken the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to task because of the latter’s response to a statement credited to the Secretary General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Maxi Okechukwu Isiguzoro when he said that “anyone or political party that is not disposed to power shift does not mean well for Nigeria.”
In a press statement issued in Ado Ekiti today by the group’s spokesperson Hon. Femi Odere, the APC presidential candidate’s media support group said it has become extremely important for the group “to weigh in” on the “brickbat between Ohanaeze Ndigbo and NEF” because of the “crass condescension (which is fast becoming legendary) with which the NEF spokesperson Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a Nigerian from Mauritania, speaks to Southern Nigerians and the characteristically senseless insensitivity of NEF on issues of national importance that may not be known to a vast majority of Nigerians.”
Odere said in the statement that “it was the same NEF through its spokesman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed that excoriated 17 Southern governors like a bunch of school children” when they reached an accord “at a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, precisely on Tuesday, March 11, 2021, that the presidential candidates of the two major political parties must come from the Southern half of the country for equity, justice and fairness to prevail.”
As if that was not bad enough, Baba-Ahmed’s befuddling arrogance came into vivid colour when he added, “we will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before, whether we are president or vice president, we will lead Nigeria” in the statement.
The group said if there’s “anyone or sociopolitical group that does not mean well for Nigeria,” it is the NEF because of their vociferous resistance against “power shift.”
The media group said the Nigerian people should therefore be wary of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who is, once again, “suspiciously whistling the vulgar audacity and gangsterism of a few gallivanting to be speaking for the north” when it’s indeed for their selfish interests.
Below is the full press statement:*
NEF: When truth and de-marketing have two different colours.
The attention of Tinubu/Southwest Media Veterans Support Group has been drawn to the call of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) through its spokesman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed of the truth that was spoken by the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Maxi Okechukwu Isiguzoro which was published in the Vanguard newspaper on Thursday, September 29, 2022.
The truth, which members of our group share, but was unfortunately characterized as “juvenile” “irresponsible” “reckless” and “de-marketing” of a Labour Party candidate, is about a statement credited to Isiguzoro that “anyone or political party that is not disposed to power shift does not mean well for Nigeria.” The Secretary General was also reported to have said that the old rump of the conservative North is the “bastion of ethnic and religious politics,” among other things.
The brickbat between Ohanaeze Ndigbo and NEF ordinarily shouldn’t have been anything for us to write home about. But it becomes imperative to weigh in not only because of Isiguzoro’s home truth about the issue of “power shift” contained in his statement, but the crass condescension (which is fast becoming legendary) with which NEF spokesperson Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a Nigerian from Mauritania, speaks to Southern Nigerians and the characteristically senseless insensitivity of NEF on issues of national importance that may not be known to a vast majority of Nigerians.
Recall that it was the same NEF through its spokesman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed that excoriated 17 Southern governors like a bunch of school children when they declared after a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, precisely on Tuesday, March 11, 2021, that the presidential candidates of the two major political parties must come from the Southern half of the country for equity, justice and fairness to prevail.
Recall also that Hakeem Baba-Ahmed it was, in a veiled reference to the Asaba meeting of the governors that “Anyone who does not want a northerner as president should leave the country if one emerges” at the maiden Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series at the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria in October 2021 and added condescendingly and arrogantly that “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before, whether we are president or vice president, we will lead Nigeria.”
We have every reason to believe that the above worldview contributed in no small measure not only to the sleight of hand by which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the PDP presidential candidate, but this need to always “lead” is also responsible for the insidious emplacement of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed’s junior brother Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as Peter Obi’s running mate.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, once again, is suspiciously whistling the vulgar audacity and gangsterism of a few gallivanting to be speaking for the north, when indeed it is for self-serving so to say, and to forge ahead with the agenda of a small minority in the north in crass disregard to the sensibilities of others.
We want to make it abundantly clear that the game for political domination in what seems like a classic example of cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face to which the NEF is morbidly fixated is up. We are also reiterating, without any fear of contradiction, and in support of the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, that anyone or sociopolitical group “that is not disposed to power shift,” such as NEF has variously demonstrated through Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed “does not mean well for Nigeria.”
The devilish orchestration of another northerner and a Fulani to boot by this so-called northern elders being spearheaded by Hakeem Baba-Ahmed with no regard whatsoever for justice, fairness and equity is indicative of the fact that they do not mean well for Nigeria.
They shall fail, once and for all. And Nigeria shall be a better place for all her citizens with the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
FEMI ODERE
_Spokesperson_
Tinubu/Southwest Media Veterans Support Group