Leaders and elders from the South and Middle-Belt have warned that any attempt to scuttle the 2023 general elections and impose an interim government would be vehemently resisted.
The SMBLF stated this in their communiqué released yesterday, after they rose from an extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
The leaders, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) also cautioned candidates at all levels to shun all acts of violence, before, during, and after the elections.
While they stressed the need to give peace a chance, they added that Nigerians have no other country to call their own.
They also commended the president and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the redesign of the naira notes to mitigate illicit financial transactions, but urged the apex bank and commercial banks
to take urgent steps to improve the management of the process in order to alleviate the sufferings of citizens. They also warned that the current situation portends danger to national peace and security.
The meeting, which was chaired by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, had in attendance leaders of the component organisations: Afenifere, for the South-West, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, for the South-East, pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) for the South-South, and the Middle Belt-Forum (MBF) for the Middle Belt.
The meeting deliberated extensively on the state of the nation and the 2023 general elections as well as other worrisome issues, particularly, the current hardship Nigerians are facing due to the unavailability of new currency notes, the fuel situation, and the problems with PVC collection.
They applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to non-interference in the electoral process to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election.
