Wednesday’s threat by the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Mustapha to lead his people in seceding from Nigeria if the situation warrants it is not a Northern agenda,several Northern delegates have said.
Alhaji Mustapha caused a storm when he said at a session of the National Conference that he was prepared to lead his people to join their kith and kin in Cameroun should Nigeria disintegrate.
However,several Northern opinion leaders and Mustapha’s fellow delegates , in separate interviews with The Nation ,said that the North should be counted out of any plot,real or imagined, to destabilise Nigeria.
Former spokesman for the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and now a delegate from the North Central, Mr.Anthony Sani said the media misrepresented the Lamido on the issue of secession.
Sani said: “I do not think the media is fair to the Lamido of Adamawa who talked about his chiefdom, and never claimed he was speaking for the North. I believe the Lamido of Adamawa wanted Nigerians to deliberate honestly in hope and with patriotic courage for the good of all, and not for any part of the country to imagine some sections have no options, however defined.
“That is to say, there are options for all sections of the country, however limited. What seemed to have irked the Lamido of Adamawa was the manner some delegates were insistent on 2/3 votes against that of Mr President who prefers consensus and the 3/4 vote that inspires consensus”
Sani said that since the North did not canvass for the National Conference in the first place, they were attending the conference in the spirit of togetherness and therefore could not have any pre-position for the conference.
”The North cannot have pre-positions for the conference, but certainly would not lack what to say when those who have canvassed for the confab raise issues of national importance, more so that most of these issues have been in the public domain for a long time,” he said.
Spokesman for the Northern Delegates Forum and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, Mallam Yusufu Mamman said that Northern delegates believe in participating fully in the conference and have resolved to make sure that their position on all issues are clear and unequivocal.
Mamman ,speaking by phone,said that the northern delegates have never contemplated withdrawing from any of the proceedings at the conference.
He said: “The Northern Delegates Forum has a leadership under Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie and Prof Jerry Gana. These two eminent Nigerians are the co-chairmen of the Northern Delegates Forum.
“At no time has the forum ever contemplated withdrawing or boycotting any of the proceedings of the conference. However, you cannot deny any delegate his right of opinion. The Northern delegates forum at all times believe in consensus driven agenda.
“But we are ready to give and take to ensure the success of the conference. Under the leadership of the co-chairmen, there is a constructive engagement with delegates from other parts of the country.
“We believe that we will participate fully and we have resolved to make sure that our position is clear and unequivocal within the context of the general national interest. This is the position of the Northern Delegates Forum”.
Alhaji Nasiru Ibrahim Junji ,a delegate from Kebbi State said that Lamido Mustapha was provoked into making his controversial statement.
His words:”Some boys in the conference were booing him. As a result he was provoked. In a conference like the one we have you find various kinds of people. Some of these people were shouting at him as he spoke, he got annoyed. I think he was simply provoked.
“The Lamido Adamawa I know is a perfect gentleman. I have never known him to speak the way he did. I can safely say that he was provoked by those shouting at him.”
