Presidency hails ACF’s neutrality on presidential candidates

 

Members and leaders of Northern socio- cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF have been commended for maintaining a neutral position on the Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd ahead of the February14, 2015 general elections.

The presidency gave the commendation yesterday in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof Ahmed Rufai Alkali. According to the statement, the Presidency said it was highly commendable that the ACF disowned insinuations in some quarters that it has adopted anyone as its consensus presidential candidate.

DAILY POST recalls that the ACF Chairman and former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie had said that the APC presidential candidate, Mohammadu Buhari is the consensus candidate of the North shortly after he won the APC presidential primary election. Coomasie’s statement was however debunked by a member of the National Executive Council of the ACF, Al­haji Salisu Garba, while addressing a press conference on the thorny issue.

He said the chairman of the forum was speaking for himself as members of the NEC had met to en­dorse the former head of state as the sole candi­date of the North for the 2015 presidency. Alkali noted that the neutral position adopted by the ACF has helped to restore the prestige of the organization as the duly recognized umbrella body of all Northerners. He said, “The denial by the Arewa Consultative Forum of a purported endorsement of a particular Presidential Candidate in the 2015 general elections once more re-enforces 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 further 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 will 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. “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan respects the rights and dignity of all individuals and constituent groups and will always be comfortable if they use their platforms to preach peaceful co-existence rather than promote primordial acrimonies.

“We therefore commend the ACF for coming out as a body to distance themselves from this phantom endorsement. We believe that the ACF is home to Northerners belonging to all political associations in the country.”

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