*Not on ethnic but capacity ground, he says
By OUR REPORTER, Abuja
In less than 72 hours to Nigeria’s general elections, a chieftain of the Northern Nigeria socio-cultural group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Muhammad Yakubu, has reportedly said that Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is choice candidate of the North.
It is not clear whether or not it was Northerners’ response to popular sayings around as some Southerners project Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Labour Party (Presidential Candidate), Dr. Peter Obi, as South, Yoruba or Igbo/Christian candidates, respectively, thereby turning the 2023 transition election process to outrightly ethnic thing.
The DEFENDER gathered that the Southerners making the candidates that emerged from their part of the country look like ethnic or religious candidates could provoke a change of mind overnight from the North, which has been suggested as reason for the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) decision to choose Atiku.
But the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)’s decision is said not to be based on Atiku being a Northerner that the North is choosing him.
Addressing a press conference on Monday February 20, 2023, Muhammad Yakubu, who is the National Assistant Auditor of the ACF, said from recent statements by notable Northern elders like Alhaji Zango Daura, Professor Ango Abdullahi, among others, North has settled for Atiku.
The ACF chieftain and also Convener, Atiku/Okowa Patriots said the region is supporting Atiku not because he is a Northerner but because he has the capacity and experience to take the country to the promised land.
“ACF came to being as a result of certain happenings in the country. The emergence of ACF is to protect the Northern interest and so far, so good as we head to the polls in a couple of days, our elders, leaders in the likes of Alhaji Sani Zango Daura(the Danmasanin Daura) has given us a direction. Atiku is the candidate of the north and that is the direction we are going to follow.
“And that’s the candidates majority of northerners are going to vote for. So, this is one of the reason that I called for the press conference and if there are other issues you guys want clarification, I am ready to give you answers .I am also the National Convener of Atiku/ Okowa Patriots”. Yakubu said.
Responding to the report that the Forum backs rotational presidency, Yakubu said, “It’s not true. That’s why I am holding this press conference. At no time the ACF met to have taken that kind of decision. That kind of decision can either come from NEC or NWC. So, since none of these bodies had met, how would that kind of decision emerged. Either the press is misrepresenting the Secretary General or some few people had concorted some stories.”
On whether ACF is in support of his position, he said, “Of course, ACF is established to protect the interest of the north and where is Atiku from? And let me give you a background story. If you have been following the ACF history, you will discover that at each point in time that the county is at crossroads, ACF and the north usually come to stabilize the country.
“The north supported Obasanjo and he won; the north supported former President Goodluck Jonathan and Jonathan won. Each time the North support anybody, not because that person is from the north. The north usually consider capacity and competence and integrity. These are the factors the north used to consider.
“The north is supporting Atiku not because Atiku is from the north. No, it’s because at this point in time, among the candidates we have now, it’s Atiku that has the capacity, the competence and the integrity and the reach out across the country.”
