The Arewa Consultative Forum has urged northern politicians to shift their focus from 2027 electoral positioning to the pressing challenges facing the region, saying the suffering of ordinary citizens can no longer be ignored.
ACF Chairman Mamman Mike Osuman made the call on Wednesday at the forum’s 79th National Executive Committee meeting in Kaduna, where he expressed concern that political actors were more interested in power than in addressing the problems confronting their people.
“We must educate and enlighten our people on their civic responsibilities and the necessity of abiding by the laws of our fatherland,” Osuman said.
He pointed to the growing number of political groups emerging ahead of the next elections, noting that their focus was on electoral strategy rather than tackling hunger, poverty, out-of-school children, and worsening insecurity across the north.
Osuman also observed that many serving elected and appointed officials had become disconnected from the forum’s objectives, though he recognised that some had been supportive and contributed financially.
READ ALSO:Â Combine Dialogue, Military Action to Tackle Banditry, ACF Tells FG
“Our individual and collective approach must be sincere, genuine, and purposeful — with the downtrodden people of our region and our country as our central focus,” he said.
The chairman devoted considerable attention to the security situation, highlighting the toll of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across states including Kwara, Kaduna, Katsina, and Benue.
He spoke of displaced communities, closed schools, struggling rural economies, and families forced into overcrowded camps with limited access to basic services.
“These displacements have resulted in overcrowded camps and informal settlements with limited access to basic services, increasing the risks of malnutrition and mortality among survivors,” he said.
In a notable acknowledgement, Osuman conceded that the scale of the crisis had exceeded the country’s internal capacity to respond.
“Insecurity has deepened to such an extent that external military assistance has been required,” he said.