- Senator Bukola Saraki met with northern elders in ABuja
- The Senate president urged them to join hands to tackle the killings in the country
- The elders expressed concern over how the north is being perceived in the country
Senate president, Bukola Saraki met with a group of northern leaders, under the auspices of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders’ Assembly on Wednesday, May 9 in Abuja.
The Punch reports that Saraki met with the northern elders behind closed doors.
At the meeting were former Liaison Officer to President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai (Chairman); a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu (Deputy Chairman); and Aliyu Ardo (Secretary).
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Others were a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and ex-Minister of Communications and Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello; former governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger State) and Idris Wada (Kogi State); Senator Joseph Waku; former Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed and Abba Gana.
The elders discussed the position of northerners n the country’s politics with Yakassai noting that Nigerians were losing faith in their ability to manage the country.
He said: “Given that today, all across Nigeria, there is a palpable disquiet, distrust and loss of confidence by the mass populace in the nation’s political class, a situation that is both creating a serious threat to the survival of democracy in the country and the nationwide loss of confidence in northerners to effectively direct the affairs of this country, we see it as a matter of urgency that northerners of good standing come together to arrest the drift, recapture national power, redeem the battered image of the northern political class and rebuild confidence in our ability to effectively pilot our democracy.
“One of the reasons for the formation of the NLSA is to help attain this noble feat for the North. To attain this goal, the assembly needs to devise insightful strategies to generate practical options and produce alternative choices for our people.”
Saraki on his part urged the elders to join hands to find a solution to the killings in the country.
He said: “By this time, as elders, you ought to be resting, but the patriotism in you brought you out. You said you are political but non-partisan, we are all political and we need to get Nigeria in the right direction.
“Being leaders, this is the time to find lasting solutions. This is not the time for blame. This is the time for us to bring peace and regional dialogue. No society worth its salt will keep quiet in the face of these killings.
“Something somewhere is wrong. We need to meet to bring about peaceful coexistence and unity in this country. Part of the solution is to know that something is wrong.
“I am happy that you are here and we will speak the truth about the problems and conduct ourselves on how to encourage dialogue and ensure that the right thing is done.”
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Meanwhile, former Governor of Edo, Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, May 9 announced that he would declare his bid for the national chairmanship of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday.
He told newsmen in Benin that president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, would join top members of the party at the occasion
Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng
