A fresh division appears to be brewing within the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) over the 2027 presidential election, following conflicting public statements from its leaders on the contentious issue of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The controversy began on Wednesday after the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, openly faulted the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for restricting its presidential ticket solely to President Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC monitored in Kaduna by our correspondent, Prof. Baba argued that the APC’s move contradicted democratic norms and denied other aspirants within the party the right to contest.

“Our Forum is not a political party, but we take an interest in matters of governance and politics. What we do is enlightenment,” Baba said. “There is need for the APC to allow any interested member to contest, in the interest of fairness and democracy.”

But in a sharp rebuttal, the Chairman of ACF’s Kano State chapter, Dr. Goni Faruk Umar, dismissed Baba’s remarks as personal and not the official position of the Forum.

According to him, the ACF has not authorised any spokesman to endorse or oppose any candidate, insisting that such pronouncements require approval from the Forum’s Executive Council.

“It is wrong for anyone to speak on behalf of the ACF without proper authorization. If Prof. Baba has a personal opinion, he is entitled to it, but he cannot speak for the Forum,” Dr. Umar said.

He stressed that the ACF, as a non-partisan socio-cultural organization, must avoid actions that would suggest it is aligned with any political party or candidate.

The Kano ACF boss further explained that similar controversies arose during the 2023 elections, when some individuals falsely claimed the Forum had endorsed a particular candidate.

“Here in Kano, we had to address the press to clarify that no one should go about declaring that ACF supports a specific candidate. That is not our role as a body,” Umar noted.

Analysts say the latest row underscores deepening internal cracks within the ACF, as leading voices struggle to balance personal political leanings with the Forum’s stated non-partisan mandate.

Prof Baba had earlier explained that such pronouncements by the ruling party by the ruling party in favour of President Tinubu, undermined Nigeria’s Constitution and run contrary to democratic principles.

Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba had insisted that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to contest for any office, regardless of region, provided they meet the requirements of the electoral laws.

“As long as democracy is in practice and the Constitution remains operational, it sets out the conditions any citizen must fulfil before vying for office,” he said.

“By law, every Nigerian , not just from a particular zone , who meets the criteria laid down by the electoral commission can contest any position, including the presidency.”

Prof. Baba stressed that although ACF is not a political party, it has a responsibility to speak on governance and political issues that affect the country. He urged the APC to allow open competition rather than close ranks around a single aspirant.

But reacting, APC’s Director of Publicity, Malam Bala Ibrahim, maintained that while the Constitution guarantees the right of every qualified Nigerian to run for office, political parties also reserve the right to support aspirants of their choice.

“There is no question about it, the Constitution allows any qualified Nigerian to contest. But a political party also has its own preferences. Parties rally behind candidates they believe best represent their interests,” he said.

“That does not mean others will be stopped from trying. Anyone who qualifies can campaign. But at the end of the day, the party will screen and choose who it considers most suitable.”

In May, APC leaders from the North-West — including governors, ministers, lawmakers and party executives — publicly endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

Though Tinubu himself has yet to declare interest in seeking re-election, analysts say the early jostling for 2027 reflects the obsession of Nigeria’s political class with elections at the expense of governance, a trend they warn poses grave risks to the nation’s democracy and development. (Vanguard, excluding headline)