Arewa Group Faults Narrative About Northern Nigeria, Lauds ACF

A Northern Nigeria pressure group, Arewa 100% Focus, has refuted the wrong narratives about northern Nigeria in the media.

This is even as the group has praised the leadership role of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), describing it as a body of patriots and elder statesmen.

In a statement by the orgànisation’s spokesperson, Hon. Abdulhamid Dankyarko and copied to the ACF General Secretary, Mallam Murtala Aliyu, the orgànisation condemned misleading information about Northern Nigerià by one Mr Alwan Hassan, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It described the assertion during a recent TV appearance as deeply unsettling and ill-informed.

It wrote: “While we uphold the right of every citizen to express opinion under the canopy of constitutional liberty, we cannot, must not, and will not remain silent in the face of misleading narratives designed to distort facts, denigrate institutions, and insult the collective intelligence of Northern Nigeria”.

According to the association, Mr. Hassan’s assertion that “Northern Nigeria needs unity, not infrastructure” is a tragically misguided attempt at oversimplification.

“It presents a false dichotomy as though we must choose between peace and progress, or harmony and highways. Unity without development is a hollow chant.”

The group, whose primary mission is to promote the culture and interests of Northern Nigerià, asserted that the North needs roads that link its various economic bases and electricity to power its industries and energise its vast potential.

It noted that infrastructure is not a political favour but a constitutional imperative, the vehicle of equality, and the guarantor of inclusion.

“We stand firmly with the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose developmental strides are strategically aimed at lifting every region from the ashes of neglect to the heights of transformation.

The group further faulted Mr Hassan’s proclamation that unity in the North can only be achieved through “one tribe, one religion.”

“The statement is not only constitutionally offensive and historically bankrupt, but also morally reprehensible.

“Northern Nigeria is not a monolith. It is a radiant constellation of ethnic and religious identities—Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Tiv, Nupe, Idoma, Igala, Berom, Jukun, and many more.

”Our strength has never been in forced sameness but in our collective will to live in peace despite our differences. The dream of one tribe and one religion is not unity; it is tyranny disguised as ideology. We refuse to allow such medieval thinking to roll back the wheel of progress. True unity is the celebration of diversity, not its annihilation.”

It further faulted the APC chieftain’s claim that religious or tribal identity has permanently barred certain groups from leadership in states like Benue, Plateau, Borno, or Kwara, saying the assertion is not only misleading, but intellectually lazy and politically inflammatory.

“Yes, challenges persist. However, they are not insurmountable. There have been substantial gains in inclusive representation across the North from cross-ethnic electoral victories to interfaith political coalitions. The process of democratic maturity is ongoing and cannot be dismissed by selective outrage,” it said, describing his position as unfortunate and devoid of patriotic ideals.

The group, however, lauded ACF as the custodian of northern conscience, saying its recent bold, non-partisan and unapologetic stance on the insecurity, marginalisation, and infrastructural neglect facing Northern Nigeria is both timely and historic.

“The ACF has, once again, proven itself to be a sanctuary of reason and a fortress of regional integrity.

“We salute their unshakeable courage in speaking truth to power, not as antagonists, but as watchmen of a region that refuses to be buried in silence. Their commitment to the North’s survival and prosperity, unmarred by political patronage, is a model of patriotic leadership worthy of eternal honour. May history remember them not just as voices of reason, but as architects of hope.”

Calling for responsible leadership, it said, “The north does not need alarmists or tribal champions but leaders of vision and valour—men and women who understand that roads build more peace than slogans and that dignity flows from development, not division.”

The Arewa group reaffirmed its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It said Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda offers a comprehensive blueprint for correcting historical imbalances, reinvigorating regional economies, and restoring confidence in government presence across the North.

It urged all stakeholders to build a North that is not an echo chamber, but of enlightened minds.

“Let us foster unity not through fear, but through fairness. Let us rise not in sameness, but in solidarity with Northern Nigeria,” the group added.