Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on Tuesday, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has raised the alarm over an alleged plan to arrest key northern aspirants for the House of Representatives speakership position, as well as the aspirants for the position of Senate Presidency.
The northern group also alleged that former Governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari and some of his strong support pillars were being threatened with arrest in order to intimidate him out of the contest for insisting on due process.
The Spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman in a statement issued Sunday also expressed concern over plans to block lawmakers-elect opposed to the Senate Presidency’s ambition of Senator Godswill Akpabio from gaining access to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
It noted that these elements were hatching these evil plans without the consent of President Bola Tinubu, with the sole aim of pitching him against the larger northern interest.
It stated: “We understand too that the sinister plot also extends to aspirants to positions in the House of Representatives who are targeted for undue harassment and intimidation.
“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.”
The Northern group said it was without the slightest doubt and convinced that by Tinubu’s democratic antecedents and abiding faith in the rule of law and sanctity, would never be party to any conduct that tends to impeach anybody’s right to personal liberty and freedom from harassment.
The group noted that it was sure that Tinubu cannot afford to allow anybody, no matter who, to cause any form of misunderstanding between him and the North, where he enjoys solid support and genuine friendship.
It added: “This realization 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 airms to set him up against particularly the North.”
It said it would be difficult not to remember that northern votes overwhelmingly went to Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to comprehensively ensure their victory at the polls.