From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has warmed Nigerians not to make the mistake they made about ten years ago to elect ineffective leaders in 2023 general elections.
Spokesman of the Forum Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed gave the warning on Wednesday while fielding questions from the sideline of an event organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna.
Baba-Ahmed also spoke on the PDP consensus candidate, saying that the statement he issued after the elders’ endorsement of the consensus candidates has the consent and blessings of their leader, Professor Ango Abdullahi. 
He therefore said he did not go against their leader who they held in high esteemed.
“What is happening in the country in the last decades is, we elect poor leaders. I think is not their fault but also our fault too .
“Something is wrong with us as a country, contending, we don’t elect good leaders who cares about the country instead we elect leaders who only care about themselves.
‘Nigerians have to be careful either we elect good leaders in 2023 or those who will come will be worst than the present crop of leaders”. Baba-Ahmed said.
However, the NEF spokesman dispelled the insinuation that there is a crack in the Forum, insisting there is no crack. 
“We are loyal to Professor Ango Abdullahi. What he did on the consensus was a good thing. What he wanted to do is very clear. He did what he did as Professor Ango Abdullahi and not as a convener or Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) .
“But we are not against him. He is a highly respected Nigerian. He is committed to good governance. We are loyal to him.
There has never been a crack in the Northern Elders Forum and there will never be a crack. Our leader is Professor Ango Abdullahi. He is respected”. He added.
Earlier, while addressing the participants, state chairman of the NLC, Ayuba Magaji represented by the vice Chairman, Shehu Usman disclosed that the titled of the pre worker’s Day symposium titled, Labour politics and the quest for good governance and development in Nigeria ‘ was carefully chosen in view of the present reality.
He noted that good governance have eroded the country as the present day leaders seemed to be overwhelmed with challenges, saying, “honestly speaking  they dont have solutions to the current problems”.
It was on this background that he declared that, “We want to encourage our members to participate in active politics. Everyone can be a member of the political parties. Any one can be an agent of the change we aspire for”.