Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a pan Northern group, has distanced itself from an endorsement of anyone to  challenge  President Bola Tinubu for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket in 2027.

The ACF publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Mohammed Baba, had in an interview with BBC Hausa, on Wednesday, stated that Northern aspirants in the APC are qualified to contest against President Tinubu despite the endorsement of the president as sole candidate of the APC by the party chieftains.

Baba said the endorsement of Tinubu as the sole APC candidate is contrary to the provisions of the constitution, advising the party to reconsider its stand.

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However, the ACF chairman Kano State chapter Dr. Goni Farouk Umar, while addressing newsmen, said the views expressed by the forum scribe were personalsince no meeting was formally convened to discuss the matter.

He added that ACF remains non-partisan and dedicated to the unity and development of the North in particular and Nigeria as a whole.

“The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Kano State Chapter, has observed with deep concern the BBC Hausa interview granted today by Prof. Muhammad Tukur, a member of the ACF National Executive Committee, wherein he expressed political views on the candidature of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“We wish to state clearly and without ambiguity that the remarks made during the said interview are personal to Prof. Muhammad Tukur and do not represent the official position of the ACF National body.

“Following consultations with the leadership at the National level and the National Chairman, we confirm that no such position has been formally taken by the Forum,” Umar said

He also expressed regrets that this is not the first time such an incident occurred, noting that  prior to the last presidential election, a similar case arose when another EXCO member made a political statement in the media, which was wrongly perceived as the official stance of ACF.

He said the recurrence is not only unfortunate but also unethical, as it undermines the credibility, neutrality, and unity of the Forum.

He also advised the  general public, the media, and political stakeholders to disregard the interview, saying  it does not represent the collective voice or decision of the ACF.

The 19 registered politicians, Umar said, accord the forum the utmost respect it deserves as a non-partisan organisation by signing a memorandum of understanding before the 2023 election in Kano State.