Reacting to Abdullahi's criticism of Buhari, Adesina mocked the Northern leader, saying he never voted for the President in the first place.
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina has attacked the leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi.
Reacting to Abdullahi's criticism of Buhari, Adesina mocked the Northern leader, saying he never voted for the President in the first place.
“We bear scars from governance by one we substantially voted into power twice...Northern votes will be cast by people who are now... more discerning,” Abdullahi had said.
But reacting via a Twitter post on Friday, Adesina wrote, “But the Professor forgets. He never voted PMB. He had his candidate, and they were both beaten black and blue.”
Adesina had in the past described the Northern Elders Forum led by Abdullahi as “a mere irritant”.
At a book launch in Kaduna on Thursday, Abdullahi also said, “We (Northerners) will participate in all political and electoral activities as equals, and concerning other Nigerians who respect us. In the North, we consider attempts to create divisions and conflicts around religion as hostile acts.
“We have paid a high price in conflicts around religion in the North, and we do not need to do more. Our insecurity and collapsing economy do not discriminate between Christians and Muslims.
“We cannot seek solutions from them as Muslims or Christians. I have to state here that we are witnessing some of the crudest and most unproductive campaigns to create divisions between Hausa and Fulani people, and create distances between Christians and Muslims in the North.
“We warn that these contemptible attempts will fail because they find no support in history. We warn that these contemptible attempts will fail because they find no support in history going back centuries, or in the recent past.
“While we differ in faith and ethnicity, history, geography and our experiences in living as Nigerians have created roots and bonds that cannot be destroyed by desperate political gambits.
“The North will participate in all political and electoral activities as equals and with respect to other Nigerians who respect us. The North want leaders who will lead with integrity, competence, compassion and the fear of God.”
According to him, northerners will not “support a candidate that fails to convince that he will radically improve the quality of governance and the integrity of leaders”.
Abdullahi added that “Northerners will not be intimidated into making choices that do not improve the chances of real changes in their current circumstances”.
Ango Abdullahi: “We bear scars from governance by one we substantially voted into power twice...Northern votes will be cast by people who are now... more discerning.”
But the Professor forgets. He never voted PMB. He had his candidate, and they were both beaten black and blue.— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) September 2, 2022