By Godwin Isenyo
The Arewa Consultative Forum has urged northerners and Nigerians in general to vote for any candidate of their choice in Saturday’s presidential as well as March 11 governorship election across the country.
Unlike in 2019 when the pan-northern socio-political organisation openly endorsed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), as sole candidate of the region for his second term in office, it refrained from endorsing any presidential candidate this time round.
Rather, ACF urged northern voters to look out for a presidential candidate with clear and objective party manifesto, character and track records of performance.
According to the group, voters will do a great disservice to themselves if they vote into offices persons they know have no capacity to perform well or persons with questionable character.
The body added in a statement by its Secretary-General, Malam Murtala Aliyu. on Sunday, that voters should cast their votes for their preferred candidates, regardless of religion and ethnic considerations.
The statement was titled, ‘Achieving success with the 2023 general elections.’
It read in part, “In a few days, some 93 million Nigerians will go to the polls to elect a new President, 31 state governors, 469 members of the National Assembly, and 990 members of the 36 state Houses of Assembly. There is no doubt that this is a gigantic and important exercise.
“At times such as this when the nation in election mode, the ACF has always taken the liberty to draw the attention of voters to the right qualities they should look for when deciding whom to cast their votes for.
“At each occasion such as this the key selection criteria we recommend to voters to consider are very clear and objective party manifestos and the character and track records of the candidates.
“Voters will do great disservice to themselves if they were to vote into offices persons they know, or should know, have no capacity to perform well, or are persons with questionable character.
“In our search for good leaders, we must cast our nets far beyond our ethnic, religious or geographical interests. A leader does not have to come from our tribe, zone, region or religious persuasion.
“We should seek leaders that best cater for our national interests, and who are elected within the tenets of democratic processes.”
Source: The Punch
