Vice-President Namadi Sambo, and Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), governors in the North failed to attend the 56th anniversary lectures organised by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna.

Apart from Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero, 18 other governors of the North were absent at the anniversary lecture.

Speaker of the House of Representatives and Sokoto State APC governorship candidate, Aminu Tambuwal, however attended the event.

The lecture was chaired by a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who was represented by Ahmed Joda.

Most of the governors only sent representatives, just as the Vice President, was represented by Governor Yero.

It was gathered at the event that ‘bad weather’ forced the vice president’s flight from landing, hence, his inability to attend the function in person as the “political leader” of the North.

Last year, Sambo attended the event where he showcased the programmes and achievements of the President Jonathan transformation agenda.

However, a source told our correspondent in Kaduna on Saturday that the vice president’s absence might not be unconnected with the open endorsement of the APC presidential candidate, Buhari(retd) as the sole candidate of the region to slug it out with President Jonathan at the rescheduled March 28 presidential election.

The ACF Chairman and former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Coomassie had said it was the policy of the North to support its own in any presidential race against other opponents.

At the event, Senate President, David Mark and Governor Yero speaking on the lecture theme: “The North and the Nigerian Federation: the Past, Present and the Future” carpeted the leaders of the North for its backwardness.

The governor wondered why its illustrious sons would keep away from an important event such as the annual lecture where crucial political and economic decisions are taken.

He urged the leaders of the region to concentrate on either economic or political challenges of the North and solve it once and for all.

Besides, the Senate President, represented by Senator Abdul Ningi, said it was a disservice to the late premier of Northern Nigeria and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello for the governors from the region to send representatives to the occasion instead of physical attendance.

He said the region was backward because nobody can muster the courage to tell northern leaders the truth, noting that all they were bothered with “is money, money, money.”

He added that of the 16 years he had served at the National Assembly, he knew those northerners that truly love the North.

Sambo, in his address read by Yero, cautioned politicians against overheating the polity ahead of the rescheduled elections.

“This event is indeed coming at a time the country is preparing for elections and the political atmosphere is fully charged thus arises the need for restraints and caution by politicians to toe the path of sanity and decorum so as not to unnecessarily overheat the polity. Suffice it to state that this review holding at this time is significant as the North is faced with socio- economic challenges that require our collective will to surmount,” he said.

*Adapted from Sunday Mirror. Photo shows Sambo.