Arewa Consultative Forum Suspends Chairman Over Anti-Tinubu Comment Towards 2027 Presidential Elections

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the foremost socio-cultural organization representing northern Nigeria, has announced the suspension of its National Executive Council (NEC) Chairman, Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman, following remarks attributed to him regarding the 2027 presidential elections.

The suspension comes after Osuman was reported to have stated during an NEC meeting held on Wednesday, November 2024, at the ACF Headquarters in Kaduna, that the northern region would support a northern candidate for the presidency in the upcoming general elections.

The statement, which has since generated considerable controversy, was made without prior consultation with other leaders or members of the ACF, leading the leadership of the forum to clarify that Osuman’s remarks reflected only his personal opinion, not the collective stance of the organization. This clarification was issued by the ACF Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, and the National Secretary, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, in a statement released on Thursday.

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The statement emphasized that “Our attention has been drawn to the widely circulated comments made by Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, Chairman of the ACF National Executive Committee (NEC), during the meeting held on Wednesday, November 2024, at the ACF Headquarters in Kaduna.” It further clarified that these comments were made without consulting or discussing them with other prominent members or leaders of the ACF, and, as such, they should be regarded as Osuman’s personal views rather than the position of the entire forum.

In response to the controversial remarks, the leadership of the ACF swiftly moved to distance the organization from Osuman’s statements, stating that “ACF rejects Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman’s statements in their entirety.” In light of the matter, the Board of Trustees and the NEC have decided to suspend Osuman with immediate effect, pending further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the comments.

Furthermore, a committee has been established to conduct a thorough inquiry into the issue, and the results of the investigation will determine the next steps regarding Osuman’s position within the organization. The ACF leadership made it clear that such statements, made unilaterally, do not reflect the forum’s collective stance or represent its decision-making processes.

The controversy surrounding Osuman’s comments highlights the delicate and often contentious nature of political alignments within Nigeria’s northern region, especially as the 2027 presidential election approaches. The ACF has long positioned itself as a key player in the political landscape of northern Nigeria, and the suspension of its NEC chairman signals the organization’s commitment to maintaining unity and discipline within its ranks as it continues to navigate the political realities leading up to the election.