2023: ACF Warns Against Rigging, Thuggery, Religious-based Campaign

Apex northern socio-cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum, has cautioned politicians in the country against heating up polity, election rigging and using thugs during the 2023 general elections.

This formed part of a seven-point communique issued at the end of the meeting of the National Executive Council of the forum in Kaduna, presided over by the chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh.

ACF said the warning had become necessary because the forthcoming 2023 election is of “great concern to us”.

ACF in the communique which was read by its general secretary also decried the state of insecurity in the country, saying that the federal government was not fast enough in curtailing terrorism.

He, however, added that there was tremendous improvement on part of some agencies in the last six months in curtailing the activities of the criminals, and called for total elimination of them.

“ACF advises politicians to play politics by the rule. They must guard their utterances and everything possible to avoid heating up the polity. Campaigns should be issue-based. It has been observed that there is already voter apathy.

“Sectarian and divisive issues must be avoided at all cost in order to further discourage rational voters from exercising their civic rights. Nigeria must be safe and stable for any meaningful progress to be achieved and for the winner, whoever he may be to give leadership.

“It is in this regard that the ACF together with other Northern groups arrange to meet with various Presidential candidates to know their policies towards uniting and developing the entire country. ACF also enjoins the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct proper and transparent elections by maintaining and even surpassing their current records.