The Presidency has lauded the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for not adopting the presidential candidate of any of the major political parties in the forthcoming general elections.
Chairman of ACF, Ahaji Ibrahim Coomasie, was quoted as saying at the weekend that the body had adopted the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, for the 2015 presidential poll, a declaration that was countered by a member of the National Executive Council of the ACF, Alhaji Salisu Garba, who said at a press briefing that the North had no anointed candidate for the 2015 presidency.
Reacting to the development, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali, commended the ACF, for not adopting anyone as its consensus presidential candidate.
Alkali in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday noted that the neutrality adopted by the ACF had boosted the prestige of the forum.
“The denial by the Arewa Consultative Forum of a purported endorsement of a particular presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections once more reinforces the core principles of the organization as a neutral association formed to protect the values and interests of all people of the North irrespective of their political, ethnic or religious affiliations.
“The statement of denial which called the so-called adoption by a section of its leadership as their personal opinion is indeed a welcome development and has boosted public confidence in the association as a robust platform for all the people of the North.”
“We are ardent believers in the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association for all individuals and groups but the tendency to utilize noble associations to feather some partisan interests is unfair and unjust.
“We earlier had cause to raise concern about the disturbing statements emanating from some leaders of some of the socio-cultural organizations in the country. We did not imagine that an individual, selected to head the group would stretch the boundaries of decency to use its platform to express his partisan opinions without clearance from the larger group.
“The timely denial by the ACF as a body has therefore restored the prestige of the organization which is duly recognized as the umbrella body of all northerners.
“We therefore commend the ACF for coming out as a body to distance its from this phantom endorsement. We believe that the ACF is home to northerners belonging to all political associations in the country.”
