The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina has described the Northern Elders Forum as ‘mere irritants’ over its position on the President and insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
Adesina stated that the group is not a conglomerate but comprises of one person under Ango Abdullahi who has always been critical of the President Buhari.
Recall that the group stated that President Buhari has failed in the vital role of safeguarding the people as there is an upsurge of insecurity and poverty particularly in Northern Nigeria.
In his response, Adesina believes the statement by the group is not strange and the Presidency’s position on what the group represents remains unchanged.
“A mere irritant and featherweight,” he said in the statement. “The former vice-chancellor signed the statement under the banner of the 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,” he added.
He, however, stated that President Buhari is committed to safeguarding lives of all Nigerians while reshaping the country.
