ACF Rebukes Pro-Buhari Group

John Shiklam in Kaduna
The  Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Monday rebuked a group, the Muhammadu Buhari Legacy Implementation Initiatives (MBLII) when the later solicited the cooperation of the forum to ensure  that President  Buhari is re-elected in 2019.

Chairman of the group, Ado Mohammed,   who met with the leadership of ACF at its secretariat in Kaduna yesterday, explained that when Buhari was elected in 2015, the group decided that  it would  go round the whole country to implement Buhari’s legacies to assist him.
According to Mohammed, during the tour of the country, the group  which is based in Kano, would be look  at Buhari’s  commitment, dedication, patriotism and sincerity of purpose to good governance and development of Nigeria

“We are going to go round the 36 states of the country, beginning from Kano to mobilise for the president, we have started consultation with the 44 local government areas of  Kano State, all the 434 wards are involved.
“What remains for us now is to start recruitment before the end of July, and we are calling on the management of the ACF to cooperate with us” Mohammed said.

He added  that  the group does not belong to  any political party, “but  just a  pro-Buhari.”
He noted that “as  it is today, both APC and PDP are in disarray. We are trying to foresee what will happen  in the North, we are trying to provide a launch pad for all of us. This is why we come to ACF to inform you of the existence of this Initiative for Buhari legacy.”

He said further plans were on to  mobilise 30 million people in the north for Buhari, “which is about double the population that elected Mr. President into office in 2015.”
“We hope that the presidency will remain in the north without going into alliance with any party, we don’t need to share power with anybody, we don’t need to consider any merger. Our fathers and mothers in ACF, this is why we come to seek your assistance and cooperation, and this is our story,” Mohammed said.

However, while responding, the Vice Chairman of ACF, Senator Abubakar Girei, apparently not happy with group, scolded Mohammed, saying it was wrong to say that the north does not need another person except Buhari.
“I don’t think I agree with you that by next election the North does not need any other person. I suggest that you reconsider your position.

“Secondly you don’t need to tell us about Buhari’s honesty because we know that was why Nigerians voted for him.
“What you can do now is to bring out the legacies or achievements of Buhuri which Nigerians don’t know so that the people can appreciate him and his kind of character.

“I feel this is not the right place for you to extend this cause because in 2014/2015 when Buhari was coming, I will want you to note that this body ACF vouched for Buhari, and today is history, is there courtesy of all Arewa people. So I will not support according to our constitution to come here in 2017 to canvass for Buhari in 2019. This is not the right place for this,” Gerei said.
Also in his comments at the meeting, a NEC member of  ACF, Senator Joseph Waku, told the group that the ACF was the wrong place to come with such campaigns.

“This is a wrong place for your group to make a first stop, particularly for measuring two political parties in our midst. We are not here to assess political party that is strong or weak. Therefore your visit here, we welcome you democratically, freedom of speech, freedom of association, you are entitled to it.

“Having said Buhari became president of Nigeria because he is Buhari, it is not because of you, not because of APC, not because of PDP, it is because he is Buhari. And I keep telling Nigerians that APC did not win election, Buhari won election. And therefore, coming to lecture us about Buhari legacy, you are in wrong place,” Waku said.
However, the National  Chairman of the ACF and former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, directed  the political committee of the forum to work with the Buhari group to obtain whatever report they have to submit.