By Abubakar Yunusa,
Northern Elders Forum has debunked the statement credited the Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu claimed that the Forum has released a Statement instigating a section of Nigeria to leave the country.
Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed stated this in a statement sent to Peoples Daily Tuesday night said Malam Garba Shehu’s Statement did not quote a single word in the “Statement” and did not mention its signatory or its date.
He said “As a former journalist, he must know that no self-respecting journalist will take this Statement seriously. His Statement was entirely a monologue castigating the Forum over fiction that only he can understand.
“The Forum believes in the rights of all Nigerians to live in peace and aspire to their dreams. It believes in the utility and desirability of a united and strong Nigeria which will meet the aspirations of all citizens.
“When the forum made comments in the past about the challenges to our union, security, or governance, it always did so openly and responsibly. It is baffling to see this unfair attribution from the Presidency, at a time when calm nerves are needed, and statesmanship should be on display.
“Northern Elders Forum restates that it made no such release, and advises leaders to note the very sensitive times in which we live at the moment.”
