(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Alhaji-Aliko-Mohammed.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Alhaji-Aliko-Mohammed.jpg)Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Aliko Mohammed From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday raised an alarm that President Goodluck Jonathan has started using divide and rule tactics on northern leaders for a political gain so as to render them powerless before the 2015 general elections.
The Forum stated that it noticed with dismay that some members of the forum have already gone to the President to prevail on him to contest for election in 2015.
Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Aliko Mohammad, who disclosed this while reading the speech on behalf of the BOT Chairman, Jeremiah Useni at the Annual General Meeting of the body held in Kaduna said the ACF believed that starting politics of 2015 two years earlier is counterproductive, adding that such a thing will only heat up the polity.
"I am very sad that the presidency has started divide and rule on the north. Recently we noticed with dismay that some members of this organization have gone to the President and assured him that he must contest for election in 2015.
"We were surprised that some of the members that went there are also members of ACF, particularly two gentlemen. The two gentlemen, one belongs to ACF and the other one is in Elders Forum. We were surprised that really because one of them has being very helpful to us. We went to Madugri together when we went to see Dr Datti Ahmad he was with us. He made it possible for us when we went to Maiduguri to meet with the leaders of JTF.
"We also feel that every meeting we have, we do it together and he went with the group saying that the president must contest. Edwin Clark was the one who asked them to go and they went thereby showing the whole world that now the north is divided," he said.
The group also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all elections into political offices in the country in one day in 2015 for there to be free and fair polls.
ACF stated "We have noticed that for a free and fair elections in 2015, we think that there should be only one election day. If Kenya would have one day election for seven elections i.e the president, governors, senators, House of Representatives, State House Assembly and Local governments all in one day, I cannot see any reason why Nigeria could not do so.
"We also feel it's going to be cheaper because it's going to be just one day election and all the security thing will be done on that same day. If Kenya can do it, I don't see any reason why Nigeria cannot do it.We also feel there is the need to pressurize INEC to see our point of view to have elections same day.
He continued: "During one of our visits to Kano, when we saw the Kano state governor he suggested that ACF should reconcile about leadership of the north. I think now it is necessary for ACF to intervene on what is happening with regards to Northern governors.
"We are not talking about Nigeria Governors' Forum where 36 people cannot decide whom to lead them. We are talking about north where already two governors have already withdrawn. It is something that should not be. I come from Bauchi, I feel unhappy that our governor has withdrawn from the governor's forum.
"At the same time when he didn't attend the meeting, the governors appointed a man as Group Managing of NNDC from Bauchi state. That means they still see Bauchi as part of the north," he said
On their plans to come under one umbrella with other northern groups, the ACF chairman said " ACF also want to bring all members of the forum who have opted out and formed their own platforms in order to speak for the north. This effort to come together is necessary for common vision, common goal and common strategies needed to negotiate from position of strength and secure some favorable terms in the polity. We were approached in the beginning of this year by Northern Elders Forum; they suggested that we have a meeting with all the groups in the north and we accepted," he disclosed.
The post 2015: ACF accuses Jonathan of dividing North (http://peoplesdailyng.com/2015-acf-accuses-jonathan-of-dividing-north/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
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So many accusations are pointed at Goodluck Jonathan so it gives Nigerians room to doubt him. This is really bad.