As the 2027 general elections in Nigeria draws near, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has reminded its members to continue to maintain political neutrality.
Speaking at its meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, the chairman, Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu, said, although ACF members may belong to political parties of their choice, as an organization, ACF is politically non-partisan and would not support one party over the other.
“What we usually do at elections is to list out the expected qualities of individuals who aspire to political offices. Even though the ACF is a regional, socio-cultural, economic and non partisan political organization, it is keenly interested in the firm establishment of a viable democracy, good governance as well as the continued survival of Nigeria as one, strong, united and indivisible country.”
He added, “Going forward, I need to draw attention to the ongoing unhealthy proliferation of non government groups and associations in the Northern States with aims and objectives clearly similar to that of ACF. Our strength lies in our unity, in pooling resources together and in speaking with one voice on all matters affecting our people and our Region.”
He explained that back in 2000, Northern leaders including former Presidents of Nigeria of northern extraction, the state governors, the Sultan and other Emirs and Chiefs, including a cross section of the Northern intelligentsia and religious leaders came together to establish the Arewa Consultative Forum.
He stated that the purpose was to achieve unity and gain harmony between and amongst all northerners, saying that to do this, they had had to persuade several civil society groups such as the Turaki Committee, led by former president Shehu Shagari, the Unity and Development Foundation under Alhaji Sule Katagum and the Northern Elders Forum run by Alhaji Abdulrahman Okene, to dissolve themselves and fuse into the newly established ACF.
“In deference to the memory of these elder statesmen, Northerners who have or are thinking of creating parallel or splinter groups should rethink their actions and come back within the ACF. There is enough room in the ACF to accommodate all Northerners,” he stressed.