By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Friday, demanded President Bola Tinubu dissolve the National Census Committee and adhere to the Federal Character Principle in the appointments.

The NEF made the demands in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, where it accused Tinubu of allegedly pursuing a regional and sectional agenda since assuming office in May 2023, warning that such a trend threatens Nigeria’s democratic fabric and national unity.

The statement read in part: “The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), being a public-spirited organisation that strives towards achieving unity, solidarity and empathy among all Nigerians, as well as seeking peaceful co-existence among all citizens, is compelled to make this public statement by way of drawing attention to the threats being posed to our democratic order of government by the systematic pursuit of a regional/sectional agenda by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since it came to office after the general elections in May 2023.

Despite its dignified silence on many travesties committed by this administration in the interest of tranquillity and with the hope that the administration will see its way towards mending its gross mistakes, NEF is forced by the continued disdain shown by the government to issue this statement to absolve itself and to restrain the government from taking this country towards the brink of despair and disillusionment, which it cannot afford at this time in its history.

“NEF has observed with much dismay and regret that since its coming to office, this administration has created some anomalies in the philosophy of governance which is characterised by arbitrary disdain for public opinion, a sense of impunity and lack of accountability to the norms of democratic governance which is reflected essentially in the respect for constitutionalism, rule of law and due process.

“This being the case, NEF finds it necessary to remind the government and the Nigerian public that Nigeria’s federal system is predicated on two principles – constitutionalism and inclusiveness.

NEF particularly observes with great concern the recent composition of the National Census Committee, which was not only grossly and blatantly lopsided in favour of the South-West but also appeared to be systematically designed to exclude other regions of the country.

“This exclusionary approach is a clear violation of the constitution and an affront to our democratic values such as fairness, inclusiveness, justice, and balanced representation.

“Historically, the conduct of national censuses in Nigeria has been sensitive affairs fraught with serious implications for national unity and the integrity of the exercises themselves. Therefore, holding a census exercise is a critical and sensitive matter, one that must enjoy the confidence and participation of all geopolitical zones. Any attempt to marginalise or suppress the interests of other regions risks undermining the legitimacy, accuracy, and national acceptance of the census outcome.

“Need we therefore remind the government that one of the causes of the demise of the First Republic was the disquiet that was created by the national census exercises of 1962, which came after the rejection by a section of this country of the earlier exercises conducted in 1952-53?

“Pursuant to the above, NEF demands the following: The immediate disbanding of the Committee whose supposed duties are in the first place not very clear, and secondly, whose creation is an unnecessary duplication of work that is primarily entrusted to the National Population Commission (NPC) which is the statutory body charged with the conduct of census in Nigeria.

‎”The questionable process of the constitution of the Committee is further challenged by the fact that it was inaugurated by an official with no constitutional prerogative to do so, who seemed to have usurped the role of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) among other entitled officials.

‎”From the foregoing, NEF calls for a holistic review and equitable redistribution of all federal appointments so far made in all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to reflect true national diversity and constitutional compliance. It also calls for a more equitable and judicious allocation of all appointments to be made by the administration in future.”

‎Meanwhile, NEF expressed concern over the alleged lopsided appointments so far and cautioned that it will lead to disaffection, resentment, deepening divisions, instability and other social-political implications that could jeopardize the nation’s unity and democracy if the government continues “disregard of the principles of equity, justice, and inclusivity threatens the very fabric of Nigeria’s unity.”