By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and Catholic Laity Council have asked Nigerians to consider the age and mental as well as physical capacity of presidential candidates in the 2023 elections before voting.
While the northern elders said they would consider these factors to determine which presidential candidate to support, the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, CLCN, pleaded with Nigerians to avoid sentiments and consider the age and health status of candidates before voting.
It also advised them to vote for the best candidates whose manifestos and economic blueprint could lead Nigeria out of her present quagmire.
NEF said its option of a consensus presidential candidate was still open, insisting its preferred persons for the Presidency, after a rigorous but productive interrogation, would be one with strong mental and physical capacity to govern Nigeria and solve the pertinent security and economic challenges facing the country.
Northern elders won’t make mistake they made in 2015
Spokesman of the forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who also said such a candidate must be one with the interest of the north at heart in an interview on Channels Television Politics programme on Sunday night, said northern elders won’t make the mistake they made in 2015 when they endorsed All Progressives Congress’ Muhammadu Buhari and encouraged the people of the region to cede their bloc votes to him.
According to him, Nigeria’s next President must have the ability to secure the country, improve the economy, and have plans for 34 million out-of-school children in the region.
