ACF Board Declares North Holds Key to 2027 Election, Demands Fair Treatment, Security Action

The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has asserted that Northern Nigeria possesses the demographic strength, territorial expanse, and political unity to shape the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

Following a meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the BOT underscored the region’s decisive influence and vowed to closely monitor politicians and policies affecting the North ahead of the polls. 

BOT Chairman Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu (Wazirin Dutse) revealed that Northern elders have urged the ACF to scrutinize political agendas and development projects impacting the region.

The Forum also expressed grave concerns over worsening insecurity, calling for immediate federal intervention. 

Dalhatu condemned the displacement of indigenous communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), slamming the lack of compensation for ancestral lands seized for Abuja’s development.

He emphasized the North’s dominance in Nigeria’s political and geographic landscape, stating that unity would ensure its continued influence. 

The BOT criticized premature 2027 election discussions, stressing the need to evaluate current leaders’ performance.

A proposed committee may assess federal policies’ impact on the North to determine if regional interests are being prioritized. 

The Forum also addressed land ownership disparities, accusing Southerners of restricting Northerners from acquiring property in the South while exploiting Northern land resources.

Dalhatu called for land reform laws to protect Northerners from becoming “landless in their own territory.” 

Additionally, he lamented rising anti-North sentiment in the South, linking it to perceived federal bias. Some Northerners, he noted, now question Nigeria’s unity due to these grievances. 

The BOT demanded justice for FCT indigenes, urging the federal government to fulfill its 1976 pledge to compensate and resettle them, including granting them statehood. 

“United, the North stands; divided, we fall,” Dalhatu declared, reaffirming the region’s commitment to safeguarding its interests above partisan politics.