Jonathan, APC candidate split North

Members of northern so­cio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yester­day sounded divided over the candidature of former head of state and All Progressives Congress (APC) presi­dential standard-bear­er, General Muham­madu Buhari and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counter­part, President Good­luck Jonathan.

Chairman of ACF and a former Nigerian Inspec­tor General of Police, Ahaji Ibrahim Cooma­sie, was quoted as saying at the weekend that the northern body had ad­opted the APC candidate for the 2015 presidential poll.

Coommasie had report­edly said: “First of all, the APC presidential primary and PDP convention have clearly shown those who are ready to practise de­mocracy. APC’s primary was held smoothly with­out any rancour, and all of them have come out to accept the result. That is a good omen for our de­mocracy, and I hope that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will emulate that.

“So, we are congratu­lating General Muham­madu Buhari, who has been winning primaries all through. Only when it comes to the general elections he is rigged out. We have also seen what happened in the other party.

“I am the chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and we have said it before, but we are still reiterating it, that we are going to support the northern can­didate. APC has voted a northern candidate, so we are going to support him 100 per cent. So, Buhari is our candidate for the 2015 election.”

However, a member of the National Executive Council of the ACF, Al­haji Salisu Garba, who is also the publicity secre­tary of the Kaduna State chapter of the forum, at a press conference yes­terday, said the chairman of the forum was on his own, as no member of the NEC had met to en­dorse the former head of state as the sole candi­date of the North for the 2015 presidency.

He, therefore, cau­tioned that the ACF should as a responsible body examine the merits or otherwise of each of the northern candidates contesting the presidency on the platforms of other political parties before pronouncing its stand.