By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
Key members of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have warned the new chairman of the group, Chief Gabriel Aduku, to desist from dragging the ACF into his personal political warfare in Kogi State or risk being removed from office.
The members from several Arewa states said the forum was formed among others, to promote the development, unity, peace and prosperity of the North as an entity, while having a healthy relationship with other areas of the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, titled: “Stop Using ACF For Your Political Fights in Kogi State” and jointly signed by Dr. Asha Manga, the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) n the just-concluded elections; Alhaji Sadiq Bulama, member, Borno State/secretary to the immediate past chairman of ACF, among others, the Arewa leaders said the ACF was never meant to be a divisive political tool in the hands of an individual or a few to use for their local political fights.
“They said, “This press release is necessary to quickly inform the general public that the recent position taken by the new chairman of ACF, Architect Gabriel Aduku, on the politics of his home state of Kogi should not be considered as the position of the ACF as an organisation but a personal expression of his political sentiments.”
The ACF stakeholders noted that though Aduku was barely two months in office, any leader of ACF, especially its chairman, was expected to be a father to all, irrespective of political affiliations, 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 within your Kogi East Elders’ Forum, don’t bring ACF down into it,” the members cautioned the new Chairman.
“It is a public knowledge that Aduku who also doubles as chairman of the Kogi East Elders’ Forum has recently thrown his weight behind one of the governorship candidates in the November 11, 2923 governorship election in Kogi State. Therefore, he cannot claim to be a disinterested party in the election. So, for him to now proceed to the ACF headquarters in Kaduna where he made scathing partisan political statements that are extremely divisive with regard to the November election could be mistaken as the collective position of the ACF which is not,” they said.
Those who signed the statement include Alhaji Ahamed Musa Kumo, ACF member, Gombe state; Hassan Mohammed, Bauchi State; Alhaji Tanko Malami, Kebbi State; Alhaji Munir Mohammed, Katsina State; Alhaji Nasiru Zakaria-Gwarzo, Kano State; Alhaji Bello Wadata, Sokoto State; Malam Usman Kabiru, Taraba State; and Umar Modibo, ACF member, Adamawa State.
The statement reads in part,
“We are members of the Arewa Consultative Forum from different states of Northern Nigeria. Most of us have been members of the ACF since the year 2000 and even prior.
“We wish to restate that the idea behind the formation of the ACF is, among others, to promote the development, unity, peace and prosperity of the Arewa North as an entity, while having a healthy relationship with other areas of the country.
“Therefore, ACF was never meant to be a divisive political tool in the hands of an individual or a few to use for their local political fights. This Press Release is necessary to quickly inform the general public that the recent position taken by the new chairman of ACF, Architect Gabriel Aduku, on the politics of his home state of Kogi should not be considered as the position of the ACF as an organization but a personal expression of his political sentiments.
“It is a public knowledge that Architect Aduku who also doubles as Chairman of the Kogi East Elders’ Forum has recently thrown his weight behind one of the governorship candidates in the November governorship election in Kogi State. Therefore, he cannot claim to be a disinterested party in the election. So, for him to now proceed to the ACF headquarters in Kaduna where he made scathing partisan political statements that are extremely divisive with regard to the November election could be mistaken as the collective position of the ACF which is not.
“Architect Aduku is barely two months in office. Any leader of ACF, especially its chairman, is expected to be a father to all, irrespective of political affiliations, and not a champion of divisive politicking that can undermine the unity and peace of any part of Arewa. It is highly condemnable for a person of Architect Aduku’s status to be fanning the embers of violence and instability by promoting such pessimistic political scenario in which he is suggesting that the November election might not hold.
“This could be taken to mean that he is engaging in a ridiculous fear-mongering that could instigate mass violence or cataclysmic bloodletting in the state.
“A real leader would never engage in promoting division but cohesion, especially a leader of our beloved ACF, which was founded on the honorable sociopolitical pedestal to promote peace, harmony and progress of every part of Arewa without exception,” they said.
“Mr. Aduku must stop this nefarious political adventurism or, at least, desist from dragging the ACF into his private political warfare. There are many ACF members in Kogi State and all of them belong to various political persuasions. They cannot afford to see their overall chairman giving the erroneous impression to the public that the ACF had anointed his own candidate in the next election and, therefore, utilise the platform of ACF to engage in political blackmail against his perceived political enemies.”
