The presidency on Sunday described the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) as a mere irritant and a featherweight following the position the group took on the worsening insecurity in the north.
The presidency was reacting to a statement Sunday signed by the group’s convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, which alleged that the insecurity in some northern states of the country was an indication that President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of those states have lost control over the protection of the people which is a constitutional duty.
In the statement signed by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), the presidency said it was not surprised by this latest statement by Prof. Abdullahi, saying that its past position on what the group represents remains unchanged: “a mere irritant and featherweight.”
It noted that while the former vice-chancellor signed the statement under the banner of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), “Hearing that title, you would think the body was a conglomeration of true elders. But the truth is that NEF is just Ango Abdullahi, and Ango Abdullahi is NEF.
“It is a quasi-organisation that boasts of no credible membership, and its leader is akin to a general without troops.
“Before the 2019 presidential election, the one-man army called NEF had shown its antipathy against President Buhari and its preference for another candidate.
“They all got beaten together. NEF is merely waving a flag that is at half-mast. President Buhari steadily and steadfastly focuses on the task of retooling Nigeria, and discerning Nigerians know the true state of the nation. They don’t need a paper tiger to tell them anything.”