By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja.

A group, United for Better Nigeria Initiative, UBNi, Wednesday, urged the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and other Northern Elders to endorse a credible consensus candidate from the South East geo-political zone.

The National Coordinator of UBNi, Mrs Nkoli Mkparu, in a statement, in Abuja, urged the northern elders to join the pan-Yoruba social cultural group, Afenifere, to support a president of South East extraction

Mkparu, while suggesting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, as the best candidate said that this was in the spirit of inclusiveness and representational justice.

She urged the elders to consider Anyim’s rich credentials seeing that he was elected as president of the Senate at the age of 39 and has been a loyal member of the PDP at all times.

Vanguard reports that the statement was in reaction to the outcome of the consensus arrangement by some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants from the north.

Mkparu cautioned that having another president from the northern region would further marginalize Nigerians of south east extraction.

She addee that the south east had at different times supported a northern candidate to assume the nation’s number one position.

Mkparu pointed out that the controversial consensus arrangement piloted by chairman of the NEF, Prof. Ango Abdulahi suggested immediate past president of the Senate, Abubarkar Bukola Saraki and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed as the party’s consensus candidates for the north.

She faulted the arrangement, noting that the northern elders should look beyond their region for a good presidential candidate in 2023.

She maintained that the unity and harmonious co-existence of interest groups within Nigeria should be considered in the overall interest of the country.

She said: “The NEF and other northern elders should in the spirit of inclusiveness engage aspirants from the South East zone and declare support for anyone who meets their criteria. Nobody can become president by being popular only in his geo-political zone, therefore leaders and opinion moulders from other geo-political zones should concede the 2023 slot to the north and announce their preferred candidate(s),” he said.

“Anyim has remained a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from inception. His commitment through good and bad times has seen him become a member of the Party’s Board of Trustees (BOT), National Caucus and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

“He has also served as a member of the PDP’s Reconciliation Committee and had once declared his interest to become the Chairman of the Party. He ran a principled campaign and enjoyed the support and endorsements of party members across the country, however a consensus agreement reached to zone the chairmanship to another geopolitical zone (other than his), prevented him from clinching the party’s top job.”