These were contained in a communique signed by the CNG spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman and issued to journalists in Abuja on Monday, at the end of the coalition’s three day retreat.

The communique reads, “We caution the UN to desist from allowing some of its officials to drag it into international disrepute by interfering in particular with the matter of the trial of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

“We equally caution the Nigerian authorities against succumbing to undue pressure from whatever quarter so as to avoid setting a dangerous precedence in the country.

“We condemn unequivocally the obvious double standards and deception by the Nigerian Labour Congress with its unexplained silence on its pledge to resume a three-day nationwide solidarity protest several days after the expiration of their two-weeks ultimatum for government to act to resolve the universities workers’ crisis.”

On the 2023 elections, the CNG urged Northerners to ask those seeking their votes to provide comprehensive programmes for the development of the region and promotion of their interest.

“We call on Northern voters to resist the temptation to vote solely on the basis of political party, region, tribe or religious and instead, choose to install a credible leadership that could see the nation through and out of its current situation, from if needs be, even the so called peripheral parties.

“We demand from every candidate seeking northern votes to provide comprehensive programmes for the development of the region and promotion of protection of Northern interests around security and the economy,” the communique reads.

On the security situation,the retreat also resolved to demand an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation into growing concerns over rampant defence corruption running into trillions of Naira.

“We demand urgent government explanation on what is inhibiting the ability of Nigerian armed forces to effectively tackle the insurgent threat in the North East, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest as well as respond to the secessionist violence in the Southeast, oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, the conflict in the north-central, and the threat of maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” the Communique added.