The mouthpiece of Northern Nigeria, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has declared it does not have any preferred candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

It stated this after rising from the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at its headquarters in Kaduna on Wednesday.

ACF, which issued a stern warning to its members against supporting candidates in its name, stated that the forum is not a political party and will not endorse anyone for the 2023 presidency.

In its eight-point communique signed by its National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, ACF said: “As the country moves towards 2023, we need to remind our members and all that we are not a political party. We do not have a candidate and will not endorse one in the 2023 election North or South.

“When the political parties who have the exclusive permission of the Constitution to sponsor candidates choose a presidential candidate each, we shall engage the candidates and find out what programme they have for the north.

“We in the ACF are worried that all the commercial banks promoted by northerners lost their licenses during the banking consolidation policies of Obasanjo and Soludo. There is the need for the northern business class to put their heads together and establish banks.

“We have always complained of late of the security situation in the north. We are still worried about this. The security conditions in the north are far from satisfactory. We urge the Federal and state government to embark on measures that will improve the situation.

“We had proposed in the past that a meeting with Afenifere/ Ndigbo. This meeting has not held because of logistic problems. These will soon be worked out and members informed accordingly,” ACF said.

(The Nation)

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