The North-West Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged northern elders to shun divisive comments as the country heads to general elections in 2023.

The call is contained in a statement signed by Muhammad Molash, the council’s zonal spokesperson, on Sunday.

The statement urged the elders to promote national unity and integration and said voters should ignore a recent call by a northern elder that northerners should reject presidential candidates from the South.

The APC council also said Nigerians should collectively reject such calls and strive to promote national integration.

According to the statement, it is against the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution to discriminate on the grounds of origin, sex, religion, ethnic or linguistic associations or ties of any Nigerian.

“Tinubu had equally demonstrated the highest level of patriotism in 2015 by sacrificing his vice presidential ambition for the unity of the country. The APC presidential ticket of Tinubu/Shettima is merely coincidental, not out of any desire to suppress a particular set of people,” the council explained.

It added that the North-West APC presidential campaign council “is therefore calling on northerners to disregard the antics of these elders, who hide behind a bogus northern agenda to promote their individual and self-serving interests.”

The statement also mentioned that Mr Tinubu’s candidature was made possible by the overwhelming support from northern APC governors for his democratic credentials.

(NAN)