The Forum of Northern Chairmen of Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) has declared support for the recent resolution of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) on the 2023 presidential race.
IPAC noted that many media reports misconstrued the actual message of the northern governors whose resolution was based on constitutional provisions, being the lawful document guiding Nigeria’s democracy.
Chairman of the Northern IPAC Forum, Hon. Abubakar Dogara Ishaq, who is also the Plateau State chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), reiterated their stand in Jos, Plateau State capital.
“Contrary to earlier stand of the Southern States Governors asserting that come 2023, Presidency must go to the South, the Northern Governors came out to let Nigerians know that the law of the country agreed that only the person with highest number of lawful votes becomes the president.
“Unfortunately, a section of the media reported the Northern Governors out of context,” it said.
According to Ishaq, the principle of democracy stipulates that eligible electorate should decide who becomes their leader through the ballot box, but not “at must” as asserted by the Southern Governors.
“In this, we boldly stress that the resolutions of the Northern Governors under the leadership of able Governor Simon Lalong was not only right but a further step to allow democracy get rooted on the rules of law.
“We therefore appeal to the Southern Governors and whoever that thought the next Nigeria’s president should be a Southerner, should seek the volition of Nigerians to vote but not through intimidation,” IPAC said.
