The North announced yesterday the formation of a Joint Action Committee to harmonise the interests of the various groups working towards winning power in 2015.
The groups’s spokesman and former Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, told reporters in Kaduna that the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Northern Elders Forum and some groups from the Middle Belt have agreed to collaborate in their approach to the 2015 elections.
Baba-Ahmed said part of the objective of the group is to improve the unity and cohesion of the diverse people of the North in pursuit of goals and objectives which affect every northerner.
He noted that the various groups in the committee have decided to devolve some of their responsibilities to the joint committee, but they will continue to exist as separate groups.
The committee was essentially created to reduce waste in energy.
Baba-Ahmed said “this is a collaboration to improve the way the North will approach 2015, politics generally and all other developmental issues. My statement says that one of our objectives is to take full advantage of the many options and opportunities that are available to the North.
“We want to see a situation where the North plays a very informed, disciplined, strategic role in the manner in which politics is played in this country. There are many options available and we want to be sure that we work with those that will take the decisions to make sure that the north takes the best position in the interest of the people of the North.
“Let me say that this collaboration is unique. It is one of the very few efforts that all northerners have made that involve the genuine participation of all northerners. Our committee does not recognise core or subsidiary North.
“We recognise fundamental equality of northerners because the problems of the North affect all northerners equally. What happen, to the northerner in Benue happens to the northerner in Zamfara. We see the same level of poverty, insecurity and concerns. Those who use words like core northerners have no idea and we don’t want to operate with that kind of mindset.
“All northerners are equal and we realised that we have been divided by these kind of talks. There is no such thing as core North. We are united by our common heritage, our history, our poverty and our contemporary exposure to the same kind of problem.
“We are weakened by the day. There is no northerner that will tell you that he is better of because of his tribe or religion. So, this divide and rule has not worked for any single northerner.
He said: “I don’t know about the elitist north. The masses have to be led by somebody because they cannot lead themselves and the Nigerian masses have been let down by the elites for too long.
“Many people have claimed to be leading the North and they have let the people of the North. The elite themselves are rediscovering their potentials to lead and will submit their leadership to the goals and aspirations of the ordinary northerner. The elites cannot work without the masses.
“Our group is to make sure that the best candidate with the best interest of Nigeria emerges President in 2015. If any group said that one North is dead, they are entitled to their opinion. I am sure that they have their reason for saying that. What I know is that there is a north.
“There are many other options we are looking for and we will not limit ourselves to the issue of northern Presidency because it is only one of the options available to the North and we are going to work with others all over the place and we are going to be very strategic about the manner in which we work and advise politicians in this regard”.
