NORTHERN TRADITIONAL RULERS' STAYS NEUTRAL ON JONATHAN & BUHARI BUT BACK JEGA

Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council has said they would do their part within the law to ensure politicians do not destroy the country in their desperation for power also said it would neither endorse the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan nor its All Progressives Congress opponent, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.),  but backed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to lead the commission to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in March 28 and April 11.

In a statement on Saturday, 14th, by the Etsu Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar. The statement reads: “The council noted the dire need for the emergence of free, fair and credible elections and resolved to lend a helping hand to the statutory body established to oversee the conduct of the elections that is INEC.

“The council equally commended the good work being done by INEC under the able leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega and prayed for the success of INEC’s worthy assignment”.

“These challenges, coming at the current stage of the nation’s development have to be addressed very carefully and responsibly. In these circumstances, the country needs statesmen more than mere politicians, for these challenges call for reflective and strategic leadership.

“Therefore, the council calls on the statesmen in the country to come forward and appreciate the need to act like statesmen so as to take the country out of the doldrums.

“As fathers of the nation and custodians of societal values, traditional rulers shall remain neutral and shall ensure that peace reigns. But the traditional rulers need the cooperation of the political leadership,” the statement said.

“Unfortunately, some religious and ethnic leaders have joined the bandwagon thereby making matters worse.

“The vocabulary used and absence of respect and decorum in the campaigns is particularly disturbing for it tends to initiate the younger generation into a culture of incivility and insolence. It will be sad and tragic if this is all the political leadership is able to bequeath to posterity.

“Traditional rulers cannot watch and fold their hands while the values of the society are torn to pieces and sacrificed on the altar of political ambitions. The council was also immensely disturbed by the kind of exchanges that tend to inflame passions and provoke conflicts constituting a clear breach of the peace,” the NTRC stated.