The new Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Gabriel Aduku, has been warned by Long-standing members to stop dragging the forum into his personal political battles in Kogi State or risk removal.
According to the members representing different Arewa states, the idea behind the formation of ACF is, among others, to promote the unity, peace and prosperity of the Arewa as an entity, while maintaining healthy relationship with other regions of the country.
In a statement, yesterday, entitled, ‘Stop Using ACF For Your Political Fights in Kogi State’, the Arewa leaders said the forum was never meant to be a divisive political tool in the hands of an individual or a few.
The statement was jointly signed by the Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate in the last general elections, Dr. Asha Manga and Secretary to the immediate past Chairman of ACF, Alhaji Sadiq Bulama, among others.
“This release is necessary to quickly inform the general public that the recent position taken by the new chairman of ACF, Aduku, on the politics of his home state of Kogi, should not be considered as the position of ACF as an organisation, but a personal expression of his political sentiments,” they stressed.
The ACF stakeholders noted that though Aduku was barely two months in office, any leader of ACF, especially its chairman, is expected to be a father to all, irrespective of political affiliation, and not a champion of divisive politicking that could undermine the unity and peace of any part of Arewa.
“We are to unite the North, not divide it. Limit your Kogi politics to Kogi East Elders’ Forum (KEEF). Do not bring ACF into it.
“It is public knowledge that Aduku, who also doubles as chairman of KEEF, recently threw his weight behind one of the candidates for the November governorship election in Kogi. Therefore, he cannot claim to be a disinterested party in the election. So, for him to now proceed to the ACF headquarters in Kaduna to make scathing partisan political statements that are extremely divisive could be mistaken as the collective position of the ACF, which is not,” they said.
Signatories to the statement include Alhaji Ahmed Kumo (Gombe), Hassan Mohammed (Bauchi), Alhaji Tanko Malami (Kebbi), Alhaji Munir Mohammed (Katsina), Alhaji Nasiru Zakaria-Gwarzo (Kano), Alhaji Bello Wadata (Sokoto), Usman Kabiru (Taraba) and Umar Modibo (Adamawa).
