Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the highest socio-cultural organization in the North says it has not declared support for any presidential candidate ahead of the 2019 general elections contrary to some media reports. The group made this known on Thursday at its headquarters in Kaduna, when it played host to the People’s Trust presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.
Receiving the presidential candidate alongside other chieftains of the forum, Acting ACF Chairman Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande said: “We do not align ourselves to any individual or political party.”
“ACF, as you are aware, is a non-partisan, non-political, non-religious body devoid of any ethnic or tribal sentiments. Thus, its status as the foremost northern socio-cultural organisation, which tries to promote peace, unity, justice and the rule of law, with the main thrust to promoting and protecting the interest and development of North and its people, within the context of one indivisible nation, is not in question.
“In our non-partisan disposition, we do not align ourselves to any individual or political party. Rather, we strive to weigh the scale on what is good for the North in particular and the overall good of the nation.
“As we hold the belief that every aspirant to the office of the President of our great country should have an articulate and thorough blueprint that will catapult the country to be among the comity of great nations, we expect to see genuinely, the very positive and pragmatic policies and measures put in place to fight against corruption, insecurity, impunity, anarchy and a host of other disingenuous activities which, if not effectively contained, would certainly be the bane of our progress and development as a people and one cohesive nation.
“I understand that you have availed yourself to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019, under the platform of the People’s Trust (PT). I feel quite enthused to acknowledge the emergence of new breed politicians like your humble self vying for the various elective offices in our nascent democratic dispensation, which, by and large, has the potential to engender healthy political process as we strive to consolidate on the achievements recorded so far.
“It is, therefore, significant under the prevailing situation in our nationhood, to witness-quite-a prolific array of political formations and platforms under which each and every Nigerian can have expression. We therefore welcome your emergence of political parties and your good self as the presidential candidate of one of the new parties, the People’s Trust (PT).”
