The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed deep concern over the state of the North under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, blaming poor socio-economic policies for the region’s deteriorating conditions.

The Forum warned that unless urgent steps are taken, the region may face even harsher realities. To address this, the ACF has declared support for Northern politicians committed to saving the North and the nation in the 2027 elections.

At its National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, ACF Chairman, Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN), described the North as “under siege,” citing insecurity, inequitable treatment, and worsening economic conditions. He called for collective action to tackle the region’s challenges and chart a path forward.

Osuman also noted concerns about leadership within the North, urging elected officials and stakeholders to prioritise solutions to the region’s domestic and environmental issues.

He questioned the role of traditional leaders, religious institutions, and elites in addressing critical problems, including insecurity, illegal mining, and public awareness.

He said: “There Is now a clarion call for individual sacrifices and individual inputs for the survival of our region and the emancipation of our downtrodden people.

“A sizeable number of our brothers and sisters in the region have demonstrated proclivity towards politics and political offices come 2027. They are already focusing on the 2027 elections. While politics is sine qua non in our clime, this present moment calls for the recognition of our region’s plights and strategic efforts for ameliorating the hardships that have besieged our people.

“I do understand their feelings. It is not in doubt that the North is currently under siege. Our dear region is not only being viciously attacked by bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers but also by sinister devices like disproportionate considerations and inequitable treatment.”

He noted the emergence of the League of Northern Democrats (LND) as a positive step toward confronting the North’s challenges, stressing the group’s focus on combating poverty, unemployment, and the collapse of key institutions.

He added, “Not long ago, I received an invitation from a new body called the League of Northern Democrats (LND). Attached to the invitation were seven pages listing 260 names, most of whom were former governors, senators, and known great sons and daughters from the North. I do admit that some policies of the current administration are repugnant and adverse to our interests as a region.

“ACF believes that certain policies and behaviours of our own leaders within our region need some critical evaluation. It is in that vein that I raise the following questions: To what extent are our elected leaders demonstrating prudency and concern for our domestic and environmental problems?

“To what extent are our governors and legislators synergizing with our traditional leaders in combating the ills that exist within our region? To the extent that some of our sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers are sometimes criminis participis in the disquiet, ills, and crimes that torment us in our region, what are we (LEADERS OF THOUGHT AND STAKEHOLDERS) doing towards arresting their evil trends and propensities?”

“Have our parents, religious teachers, and the elites initiated an orientation and public awareness that will educate our people on the need for self-defense and self-preservation? Illegal mining by foreigners, aided by our own people, exists in some states. What local strategies are on the ground towards arresting this vice?” he added.

Supporting the objectives of the LND, the ACF Chairman said that the objectives have been “constituted in response to the worsening condition in Northern Nigeria, a region that has been plagued by endemic poverty, illiteracy, religious and ethnic conflicts, unemployment, insecurity, and the collapse of key institutions. The waning political relevance of our region within the larger Nigerian nation-state is also a matter of grave concern that the League seeks to address.” (The Guardian: Text, Excluding Headline)