From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) warned its members on Wednesday to steer clear of speaking about and endorsing any candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
ACF noted that as the race to the 2023 general election begins, its members will be subjected to questions from outsiders as to which candidate the Forum will endorse for the presidency.
In his opening remarks at the National Executive Council (INEC) meeting, the ACF Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh advised members that their answer to such question should always be: ‘ACF is not a political party to endorse any candidate.’
Chief Ogbeh also spoke on the need for the Forum to hold meetings with its counterparts in South East, South West and South-South in order to douse political tension in the country and ensure peaceful coexistence among Nigerians ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
‘Our plans to have meetings with Afenifere, Ohanaeze, South-South People Congress is still on course because there is a need to put a stop to abusive words against one region or the other,’ Ogbeh said.
‘We should desist from endorsing any candidate for the 2023 presidency. If anybody asks you about the endorsement, tell such person that we are not a political party.
‘Even for 2023, we do not know yet who the candidate is. We are not a political party. We do not participate in political activities except where it becomes necessary. May God help us with a good candidate. It is only the Almighty God that can solve our problems.
‘Our plans to have meetings with our counterpart; South-South people congress, Afenifere, Ohanaeze is still in progress. Once we are done with the plans we will let you know. We need to make peace. Abusive words on social media will not help us. We don’t want chaos in this country. If we turn refugees where do we go? We will abandon all our property because we can not carry anything along with us other than Ghana-Must-Go bag,’ he said.
On kidnapping and killing of students and pupils in both private and public schools across the country, the Chief Chairman said: ‘Government must try very hard to bring sanity to our school system, otherwise we are going nowhere because there are crimes like cultism, sodomy and others in most of our schools today.’
A communiqué is being expected at the end of the meeting.
