ACF outlines its reasons for endorsing Buhari

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a northern socio-cultural group, on Tuesday formally endorsed the re-election bid of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

The presidential election which has Buhari and the candidate of the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as front runners holds on Saturday, February 16.

Endorsing Buhari as its preferred candidate, ACF listed content of character and morality of the candidates, their leadership qualities, performance and general acceptability of the candidates as part of the reasons for their decision.

It also listed capacity to tackle security challenges, fight corruption, and boost the economy by way of diversification away from over-dependence on oil, and infrastructural development in order to promote growth as other reasons it decided to support Buhari.

ACF announced its stand in Kaduna through the acting chairman of the national executive committee of the forum, Musa Kwande.

“Certain attributes such as clarity of thought, unity of purpose, content of character and morality of the candidates, their leadership qualities, performance and general acceptability of the candidates contesting for not only the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but also for other elective offices should guide voters in making their choices.

“The decision on who to elect should not be based on any form of inducements, mob hysteria, intimidation or false promises, but by calm and deliberate consideration of the candidates’ qualities of leadership, performance and moral standing in their public and private lives.

“Other considerations such as the capacity to tackle security challenges, fight corruption, and boost the economy by way of diversification away from over-dependence on oil, and infrastructural development in order to promote growth.

“The integrity of the candidate to raise the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations is equally important in the election.

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“The ACF notes the strides taken by the Buhari administration to improve and reposition the nation economically. A few examples are the multi-billion dollar Mambilla hydropower project, the exploration of oil in Gongola Basin of the Benue Trough, the Baro inland port, the North East Development Commission, the ongoing rail line projects nationwide and other critical infrastructural development projects.

“Upon the contributions of the incumbent government to the economic and infrastructural development of the nation, and the government’s achievements in combating insurgency and other insecurity problems bedeviling the country, ACF believes that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves a second term to consolidate on his achievements,” he said.

The forum called on politicians, their supporters and the electorate to avoid all forms of violence before, during and after the elections.

Earlier last week, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), had endorsed Atiku.

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