ACF kicks against Akpabio as Senate President

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) disassociated itself from the Coalition of Northern Groups’ endorsement of Sen. Godswill Akpabio for Senate Presidency.

Alhaji Musa Saidu, an ACF member, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

Endorsing Akpabio for the Senate Presidency, according to Saidu, who is also the leader of the Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria, would mean disaster for Northern Nigeria.

“We hereby dissociate ourselves from a coalition of Northern groups’ endorsement of Sen. Godswill Akpabio for Senate Presidency.”

“The Coalition is speaking only for itself, not for the North.”

“No true Northern group will support Akpabio for a sensitive position like Senate President because he is not friendly with the Northerners.”

“We are the people who know Akpabio because we live in the South; we know those who are friendly with the Northern people, and Akpabio is not one of them,” he explained. Saidu went on to say that the coalition’s endorsement was most likely done out of  ignorance.

“I would like to condemn the endorsement in its entity because it was done out of ignorance.”
It’s also likely that the groups were bribed to endorse Akpabio.

“I want to say that the Northern people are not beggars who will endorsing people who are not friendly with them because of inducement,” he stated.

Saidu stated that the ACF will continue to fight for justice in the country.

“Why should the All Progressives Congress (APC) be hell-bent on zoning the 10th Senate Presidency to the South when we have capable hands in the North?”

“Because the North-West provided the APC with the most votes in the Feb. 25 presidential election, why not consider somebody from the zone?”

“I think it’s time for the party to reward the zone for the massive votes rather than start looking for somebody from the South as Senate President,” he said.