ACF Rejects Anti-Southerner Tag, Says It also Criticised Buhari’s Administration

The Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Murtala Aliyu, has rejected the claims in some quarters that it criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration because the president is a southerner, insisting that it criticised the present administration with the same vigour it applied in its criticism of the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is just as the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) yesterday reaffirmed its rejection of the Tax Reform Bill, saying it threatened national cohesion and was “conceived in bad faith.”

Speaking on ‘News Night’, an ARISE NEWS Channel programme, Aliyu said that while the forum may be political, it remains impartial and not partisan.
“I think that’s an unfair judgment to say we criticise the government because a southerner is at the helm of affairs,” he said.

“We were huge critics of the last northern-led administration, and our records can verify this.
“We have consistently brought attention to government actions and pressed for improvement when necessary.

“The ACF’s official position is that selecting candidates is the responsibility of political parties.
“We’ll assess which candidate is better for the country and the north. We’re not partisan, but rather political, and our interest is the entire northern state and its benefit to the whole country.
“We don’t take sides, and we’re not against any person, including the current president.”
Aliyu’s remarks came in the wake of the reported announcement that the ACF will support a northern candidate in the 2027 general election.

On Wednesday, ACF National Chairman, Mamman Osuman, announced the support of the forum for a northern candidate in the 2027 general election.
Subsequently, the ACF suspended Osuman for issuing an unauthorised statement, adding that he did not consult with other leaders and members of the forum before making the remark.

Aliyu said that the ACF’s primary concern is ensuring leaders prioritise grassroots needs, adding that collaboration between federal and state governments is crucial for progress.
“First of all, let me say that we engage the governors at the governors’ forum level. We also engage the governors at the individual level,” he said.

“We also engage the traditional rulers. And where there is responsibility at the sub-national level, we bring their attention to that. We are not totally blaming the national government for all the wars in the country.

“Just like the north, any part of the country will have to wake up at the sub-national level to do the right thing and so the federal government will complement those efforts. But such economic policies, the macro-economic policies, are actually defined by the government at the centre.

“If things are going right or wrong at the centre, they should address it. At the micro-level, the state governments or the governments at the sub-national level will handle that. And we are talking to them.

“So, we are not saying we are heaping all the blame on one person or one location. No. We are saying all people at the leadership level should wake up to their responsibility and also be aware that the people at the grassroots are complaining.
“So, we expect to see the promises the government made. That changes will come soon and that succour will come to the people.”