The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has dismissed reports that it endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Alhaji Seidu Baba, a member of the group who addressed reporters in Abuja on Saturday said the former vice president cannot be their consensus candidate.

He said that the PDP candidate has not been fair to the Northerners to deserve their endorsement, adding that although Atiku has been scheming to be endorsed as the sole candidate of the North, NEF has not endorsed him.

“There was an attempt to cajole and even force the NEF to adopt him (Atiku), it shows how desperate he is.

“Many people believe, though the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai, was condemning Northern elders, it is believed, his real target was Atiku Abubakar.

“There is no way Atiku can be a Northern candidate because he does not know them and we do not know him.

“It is believed that Atiku got wind of his rejection, the reason he failed to show up at the NEF Assembly and could not send any representative.

“Atiku has not been seen as somebody who is closed to the North because he has not been fair to us.”