The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended its chairman, Mamman Osuman, in the wake of controversy surrounding the forum’s critique of President Bola Tinubu’s policies and its assertion that northerners are best suited to represent the North.
In a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the forum’s NEC meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the ACF expressed dissatisfaction with the current economic policies, which, according to the forum, worsened conditions in Northern Nigeria.
But the ACF swiftly suspended Osuman in a letter signed by its Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu on Thursday.
Aliyu claimed that the statements were Osuman’s personal opinion because he did not consult with other leaders and members of the forum.
The suspension letter stated, “The attention of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been drawn to widely reported statements credited to Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, OFR, Chairman, ACF National Executive Committee, which was made during the meeting of the NEC, held on Wednesday, November, 2024, at ACF Headquarters, Kaduna.
“In particular, Mr. Osuman was quoted as saying that the North will back a northern candidate for the Presidency, come 2027.The statements were made by the NEC chairman without consulting or discussing with other leaders and members of the ACF and thus, reflected Mr. Osuman’s personal opinion only.
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“ACF rejects Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman’s statements in their entirety. For this reason, the leadership of the ACF’s Board of Trustees (BOT) and that of its NEC has decided to place Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman on suspension with immediate effect.
“A committee has been constituted for further investigations.”
Meanwhile, Yoruba socio-political Afenifere, Igbo socio-cultural body Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other regional groups had earlier condemned the ACF for the statement, insisting that ex-president Muhammadu Buhari laid the marker for the hardship in the country.
