The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) in Nigeria declared on Sunday that it would not tolerate intimidation of northerners seeking leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly. This comes as the assembly’s inauguration is anticipated.
In a statement, CNG’s spokesperson Abdul-Azeez Suleiman claimed that Abdulaziz Yari and some of his key supporters had been singled out for arrest and threatened with expulsion from the race because they insisted on the use of fair procedures.
Suleiman urged President Bola Tinubu to put an end to the attempt to intimidate anyone exercising their right to vote and be elected.
“We understand also that the nefarious plot also extends to aspirants to positions in the House of Representatives who are targeted for excessive harassment and intimidation,” the statement continued.
“This plot, as widely speculated, involves the introduction of a suspicious electronic voting system in the process meant to track the pattern of voting in the National Assembly.”
“This realisation and other manifestations of evil being perpetrated by some unscrupulous political merchants, who pose as his friends, are the reasons why from the onset, CNG cautioned the President against the antics of desperate political dealers with very negative intentions by allowing the legislators to freely and fairly produce their leaders.
“As concerned northerners and well-wishers of Mr. President, we feel duty bound to once again draw his attention to this brewing plot and to call on him to move quickly and reassert his commitment to good, impartial governance to halt this sinister plot that potentially aims to set him up against particularly the North.”