Mamman Osuman
By Akeem Atoyebi
Several northern groups have openly backed the suspended Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mamman Osuman, following his rhetoric that the region will back a candidate from the North against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Osuman had on Wednesday declared that the North would not support Tinubu.
Following the statement, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ACF, Bashir Dalhatu, and the National Secretary, Murtala Aliyu, announced his suspension.
They noted that Osuman made the statement without consulting with other leaders and members of the ACF, describing the remark as reflecting his opinion.
However, some northern groups condemned the decision, describing it as unjust and politically motivated.
The groups are the Coalition of Northern Groups, Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, and the Arewa Youth Consultative Council.
The Coordinator of CNG, Katsina State chapter, Abdullahi Kabir, described the suspension as an attempt to silence the North, wondering why Osuman would be punished for speaking the truth.
Kabir noted that Osuman’s statement resonated with the opinion of 90 per cent of northerners, adding that the region would resist any attempt to silence it.
“As the Coalition of Northern Group, Katsina State chapter, we do not support the suspension of Mr Osuman. We believe his statement is valid, as it resonates with the opinion of 80-90 per cent of the people of Arewa. Moreover, as a Nigerian citizen, Mr Osuman has every right to express his views.
“However, we must reiterate that the Arewa Consultative Forum does not represent the collective voice of the northern people and lacks the authority to dictate the political direction of Arewa. The ACF’s history, marked by certain failures to act in North’s best interests, has further eroded its credibility in this regard.
“If these recent actions are part of a broader attempt to silence northern voices or restrict the region’s democratic expression, we firmly oppose such efforts. The North will stand united to safeguard its rights and ensure its aspirations are upheld through inclusivity and collective decision-making,” Kabir said.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Charanchi, noted that the north was not happy with Tinubu’s administration and policies.
Charanchi said, “Actually, I don’t think he (Osuman) lied in what he said, because people are not happy with the system. I am telling you 80 to 90 per cent of the northern people will adopt a northern candidate without a doubt because if you take a census, they are seriously not happy with the system.
“You see, 2027 is still very far to conclude on who we are going to support. But if things keep moving the way they are moving, I doubt if northern Nigeria will support President Tinubu. Not only northern Nigeria, Nigerians in general; I doubt if they’ll support President Tinubu.”
On its part, the NYCN described Osuman’s suspension as a “big disgrace to northern extraction” and accused ACF members of “selling their voice for a peanut.”
