A fresh division is brewing within the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) following conflicting statements by its leaders on President Bola Tinubu’s potential re-election bid in 2027.
The controversy erupted after the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Baba, openly criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) for restricting its presidential ticket to President Tinubu.
In an interview with the BBC monitored in Kaduna on Wednesday, Baba argued that the ruling party’s stance contradicted democratic norms and effectively barred other aspirants from exercising their rights.
“Our Forum is not a political party, but we take an interest in matters of governance and politics. What we do is enlightenment,” he said.
“There is need for the APC to allow any interested member to contest, in the interest of fairness and democracy.”
Baba further noted that every Nigerian has a constitutional right to vie for elective office if they meet the requirements of the law.
“As long as democracy is in practice and the Constitution remains operational, it sets out the conditions any citizen must fulfil before vying for office,” he stressed.
Kano Chapter Disowns Baba’s Position
But in a swift rebuttal, the ACF Chairman in Kano State, Dr Goni Faruk Umar, dismissed Baba’s comments, describing them as his personal opinion and not the official position of the Forum.
“It is wrong for anyone to speak on behalf of the ACF without proper authorization. If Prof. Baba has a personal opinion, he is entitled to it, but he cannot speak for the Forum,” Umar said.
He insisted that only the Forum’s Executive Council could approve such pronouncements.
“The ACF is a non-partisan socio-cultural organisation and must avoid any action that suggests alignment with a political party or candidate,” Umar added.
Umar recalled that a similar controversy arose in the run-up to the 2023 elections when some individuals falsely claimed the Forum had endorsed a candidate.
“Here in Kano, we had to address the press to clarify that no one should go about declaring that ACF supports a specific candidate. That is not our role as a body,” he noted.
Naija News reports that the latest row exposes cracks within the ACF, as prominent figures struggle to balance personal political leanings with the Forum’s avowed non-partisan stance.
APC Defends Right To Back Tinubu
Meanwhile, APC’s Director of Publicity, Malam Bala Ibrahim, defended the party’s position, noting that while the Constitution allows all qualified Nigerians to contest, political parties also reserve the right to rally behind aspirants of their choice.
“There is no question about it, the Constitution allows any qualified Nigerian to contest. But a political party also has its own preferences. Parties rally behind candidates they believe best represent their interests,” Ibrahim said.
“That does not mean others will be stopped from trying. Anyone who qualifies can campaign. But at the end of the day, the party will screen and choose who it considers most suitable.”
North-West leaders back Tinubu
In May 2025, APC leaders from the North-West, including governors, ministers, lawmakers, and party executives, publicly endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
Naija News reports that although the President himself has not declared his intention to seek re-election, analysts argue that the early jostling reflects the political class’s obsession with elections over governance.
They warn that such preoccupation poses risks to Nigeria’s democracy and development, as leaders focus more on power struggles than on addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
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