The Northern Elders Forum have described the upcoming National Conference as ill timed and a waste of precious resources.
Speaking to newsmen in Bauchi, spokesman for the Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi said, “Even if there must be national conference, it should be a sovereign one where the executive and legislative arms of government would be dissolved with the exception of the judiciary pending all burning issues, including the desirability or otherwise of the nation to remain as one single entity should be decided upon by the delegates duly elected by their constituencies.
“The national conference proposed by Jonathan is a waste of public funds and is ill-timed because election is now approaching. Even the mode of operation and composition of the delegates of the conference are all wrong.
“We heard that when the delegates are nominated by their states, it is Jonathan who is going to approve. So, you can see that this is not a Nigerian conference but Jonathan’s conference,” he added.
He said Northern elders would boycott the forum and enlighten Nigerians on the need for zoning and power rotation as the only way to stabilize the polity.