John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has distanced itself from a recent statement issued by leading northern groups at the end of their summit last Saturday.
The groups in their statement signed by the spokesmen of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Nafiu Baba-Ahmed of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); Yerima Shettima of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) and Rev. Bitrus Dangiwa of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), among several others, had berated the northern politicians including President Muhammadu Buhari for failing the North.
But in a statement yesterday, the ACF said it was never involved in the preparation nor participated in the said summit of the group neither did it mandate any of its members to represent it.
The statement which was signed by Muhammad Ibrahim spokesman of the forum said: “The attention ACF has been drawn to the Communique of the Northern Groups Summit held at the Arewa House, Kaduna, on Saturday, March 24, 2018 where the ACF was said to be a signatory to the communique.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ACF would want to state clearly that it was never involved in the preparation nor participated in the said summit of that group and did not mandate any of its members to represent it.â€
Ibrahim said: “ACF acknowledges the right of the individuals or groups to freedom of association as enshrined in our constitution. “Any member who claimed to have represented ACF or signed on behalf of the forum did so on his own. “Furthermore, the views expressed in the said communique were that of the conveners and not that of ACF which is an umbrella body for all northerners irrespective of their political, ethnic and religious persuasions. ACF therefore dissociates itself from the communique in its entirety.
“The ACF will address the North and the nation on this and similar issues as it always does at the appropriate time.â€
