2023: Choose Lawan, Lose Power – Nothern Group Warns APC

A Northern pro-democracy organization, Arewa Development Agenda (ADA), has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC), against making the mistake of fielding the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

This was the decision of the group at a well-attended Press Conference held in Abuja, Thursday with hundreds of the Group’s members in attendance with their leader, Mohammed Danlami, who incidentally is from the same state as the Senate President.

The organization accused the Senate President as an incompetent and uncaring leader who has compromised the effectiveness of the Senate since his inception as president of the upper chamber, accusing him of ignoring the plights of Northerners suffering from insurgency.

The group therefore warned the party that, imposing Lawan as its presidential candidate in the next year’s election would spell doom for the party, describing him as “an opportunistic aspirant.”

The text of the press briefing, signed by ADA’s leader Mohammed Danlami, reads in part thus:

“We are already in election mood preparatory to the 2023 general elections and all concerned Nigerians and organizations must be interested in what direction Nigeria takes henceforth and how to fix the different challenges confronting the country. We all know that leadership is key in finding lasting solutions to our challenges and, therefore, we must get it right this time. In so doing, all hands must be on deck to guide the electorates and the political Parties on the choice of their presidential candidates.

“This is no time to play nebulous politics with our common destiny. We as northerners are impressed by the general opinions in the major political parties tending towards supporting power remains in the North come 2023 but not just any Northerner taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari but the best presidential material that the North can provide.

“The Arewa Development Assembly (ADA), has noted with serious discontentment, the audacity with which the President of the Nigerian Senate, Mr Ahmad Lawan, has been going about his recent declaration to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“First, we wonder why, after he has allegedly obtained a Form to return to the Senate he suddenly obtained another Form to contest for the presidency under the same Party. This, in normal circumstances, should disqualify him automatically from contesting for both offices apart from the fact that this demonstrates a confused state of mind from someone who aspires to the highest office in the country. It demonstrates a man of inconsistency and uncertainty as to his real interest and exhibits comprehensive ignorance of the purpose of governance.

“So, this is not the type of mind-set that Nigeria requires for leadership at this volatile moment of the country. Nigeria needs an intelligent, visionary, determined, courageous and creative leader at this historic juncture of its existence and these qualities are glaringly lacking in Distinguished Senator Lawan, with due respect. If APC wishes to lose the next presidential election it may go ahead to impose him on the Party.

“So worrisome, is the fact, that for three years of emerging as president of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has proven himself as the most incompetent leader ever produced by Nigeria’s National Assembly. As core democrats, we consider Mr Ahmad Lawan’s voyage into the 2023 Presidential race, as an attempt by a greedy Nigerian Politician to dubiously lobby himself into the Presidential race and set further confusion into the efforts of the ruling party as it moves to choose its candidate in a short while.

“For over three years, we cannot but agree that the seeming epileptic nature of the legislature in Nigeria cannot be unconnected to a compromised leadership in the Senate. Nigerians attack the legislature over the state of the nation for not playing its role as an arm of government, not knowing how badly Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has weakened the National Assembly.

“Still fresh in the memory of Nigerians is the extremely lavish 63rd birthday the Senate President hosted earlier this year for which he was roundly condemned for not being sensitive to the plight of Nigerians who are suffering from chronic poverty. That could only be done by someone who can’t provide good leadership.

“We are displeased, by the self-serving Nigerians, particularly in the National Assembly, who are behind the push, for Ahmad Lawan as Nigeria’s next President.

“Let it be clearly stated, that Ahmed Lawan’s shortcomings have nothing to do with his membership of the APC-led government, but deliberate acts of compromise and incompetence.

“How can we have a Senate President who is so politically desperate and insensitive, to the plight of his people, now aspiring to be Nigeria’s President? Over the past few years, Nigeria has been confronted with the myriads of insecurity, yet Mr Lawan has remained silent about it.

“Be that as it may, we wish to state, that we shall, with every legitimate means, oppose whatever attempt by the very few to impose such as incompetent leader on Nigeria ahead of 2023 under whatever guise.

“We will continue to guard our democracy jealously. There are eminently qualified Nigerians from the North in the APC better positioned to be fielded by the APC. Only the best among them is good enough for us and the country at large, not anyone with demonstrable incompetence like Senator Lawan.”