The Nigerian Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, has said it will not be supporting either the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari or that of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The forum has shut out President Buhari and Atiku from its consultation meeting with presidential aspirants scheduled in Lagos on Friday.
NCEF, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Solomon Asemota on Tuesday, said the meeting was organised to promote new presidential candidates.
Members of the forum are Solomon Asemota, who is the Chairman; former Minister of Defence Lt Gen Theophilus Danjuma, Prof. Joseph Otubu, Joshua Dogonyaro, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Dr Kate Okpareke, Dr Ayo Abifarin, Major Gen Zamani Lekwot, Moses Ihonde, Nat Okoro and Matthew Owojaiye.
Also among them are, Justice Kalajine Anigbogu (retd.), Shyngle Wigwe, P. L. Dabup, John Bagu, Dr Saleh Hussaini, Mike Orobator, Justice James Ogebe (retd.), Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Debo Omotosho, Priscilla Kuye, S. D. Gani, Mrs Osaretin Demuren, Prof Yussuf Turaki and Bosun Emmanuel (Secretary).
Part of the statement said, “This meeting is as a result of the calls from concerned Nigerians that the NCEF should engage the new presidential candidates. By this notice, the NCEF is inviting new presidential candidates to a consultation meeting.
“By new presidential candidates, the NCEF refers to candidates who have not been running for the office before as well as those not on the platform of the PDP and the APC. The concern of the NCEF is that both parties mismanaged the economy and the society in the past 20 years.
“Jointly, they devalued the Naira by over 1,600 per cent, while increasing the cost of fuel by 625 per cent.
“They permitted insecurity in the country and escalated religious and ethnic tensions all over the nation. The two parties looted the treasury empty and impoverished Nigerians.”
