The forum comprises Christian and Muslim religious and political leaders in the North, including Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives.

The group endorsed Atiku at a media conference in Abuja, following the adoption of a report by its technical criteria committee.

The report was presented by Simon Achuba, former deputy governor of Kogi state.

Reacting, the LP presidential standard-bearer, in a statement issued on Sunday by his campaign media office, said Dogara’s position did not reflect the mind of the majority of Nigerians.

The statement reads, “Hon. Dogara has a fundamental right to choose who to support and nobody can hold that against him, but to try injecting his Old Testament politics into the system to suit his selfish interest is not going to do him any good.

“Clearly, the former Speaker knows that he is swimming against the tide by his unpopular decision which amounts to running from frying pan to fire; from one injustice to another, and claiming to be acting on behalf of his people whose anger for the two wrongs of the two main political parties are glaring.

“Hon Dogara knows as a fact that his position does not reflect the heart and mind of the majority of Nigerian populace who are already on the moving train to take back the country from primeval political thinkers like him.

“At his level as the ex-leader of the national parliament, Hon. Dogara should have been privileged to read the handwriting on the wall vividly to know that where the pendulum swings today: the talk is not about political party, but about character, competence and capacity, because where the country precariously stands today requires nothing short to save it.

“Hon. Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives successfully ran a parliament literally in the opposition to the Executive and heaven did not fall, yet he feels that a pragmatic President like Peter Obi would not be able to maneuver or steer the ship of state.

“It’s obvious that the former Speaker is still leaving in the past of the old politics that brought the country to where we are today that political party interest is taking precedence over and above national interest.

“The former Speaker knows as a fact that his choice is against the tide, as the country stands on two prongs today ahead of 2023; justice and equity on one hand and capacity and competence on the other and not on primordial interest of political party lines.

“We in the Obi-Datti Media see Hon Dogara’s unpopular stand as a clear measure of double standard and a grave error in seeing same faith ticket in his party as wrong but jump to embrace another injustice of a party that refuses to follow its own constitution and respect for political fairness and accommodation.

“Obi-Datti Media Office, therefore, sympathizes with Hon. Dogara for failing woefully to grab the ample opportunity that every politician looks forward to, standing for their people at a critical time of their abandonment. History will certainly place him as a leader who turned his back on his people when they rose against injustice and oppression.”