Twenty-four hours after criticising the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration and ruling him out of 2027 elections, the Chairman of the National Executive Council of the apex Northern socio-cultural Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been suspended.
Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman’s ordeal began after he went to town with a purported ACF memo that called on Tinubu to review his economic reforms to reflect greater sensitivity to the plight of Nigerians, especially those in the North.
His statement arose from an ACF NEC meeting of Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at its headquarters in Kaduna.
However, in a counter-statement jointly signed by Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu (Wazirin Dutse) and Alhaji Murtala Aliyu (Matawallen Gombe), ACF Board of Trustees Chairman and Secretary General, respectively, they complained in particular, that Mr. Osuman was quoted as saying that the North will back a Northern candidate for the presidency come 2027.
They stated: “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.
“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.”
The group’s communiqué that got Osuman into trouble came after its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday, where the ACF reportedly expressed displeasure at the economic policies of the present administration because they had worsened the hardship an average Nigerian is facing.
While outlining the unique vulnerabilities of the northern region, the Forum noted that its people were affected by food insecurity, limited access to education and skills training, and reliance on microeconomic activities for survival.
It emphasized that while economic reforms were necessary, they should not worsen poverty or hardship among the citizens they are intended to benefit, adding that the livelihoods of many depend on micro-activities.
“The region faces acute and chronic food insecurity; its youths lack education and skills training. Daunting as these may be, they can be reversed. The time to think big is now.
“Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring economic challenges, the policies of the current federal government have continued to worsen matters, with little indication of the needed sensitivity to the precarious existential conditions of Arewa people.
“Succinctly stated, economic reforms, while indeed desirable, should not impoverish the same people they are meant to serve. The people may not be alive to reap the putative benefits,” the communique said.
The group had earlier declared that it would back a Northern candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
