By Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Gabriel Aduku, has said he did not speak on Kogi State politics in his capacity as ACF leader, but as the Chairman of Kogi East Elders’ Council (KEEC), stressing that he is more patriotic to the North than most of those accusing him of divided loyalty.
Aduku had to back-pedal to save his position as ACF Chairman when Northern leaders threatened to remove him from office over his utterances.
He had been jolted by unfolding political violence in the state ahead of November 11 governorship election, which he expressed while fielding questions from journalists in Kaduna.
But some members of ACF warned him against dragging ACF into Kogi politics, saying he risked removal from office by such action. However, Aduku, who is also the chairman of KEEC, stated, yesterday, that those accusing him of dragging ACF into Kogi politics did not know the aims and objectives of the forum more than him, who is one of the founding fathers of ACF.
He added that it would be treacherous of him to use ACF for personal purposes when he knew the reasons behind its formation, just as he assured the stakeholders of his undivided loyalty and irrevocable commitment to the realisation of the goals of the socio-cultural association as espoused by the forum’s founding fathers.
Aduku said: “My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to some members of ACF which reportedly ‘warned the new chairman of the forum to desist from dragging the ACF into his personal political warfare in Kogi or risk being removed as chairman.’ The statement entitled ‘Stop using ACF for your political fights in Kogi’ was purportedly signed by one Dr. Aisha Manga and Alhaji Sadiq Bulama.
“Upon reading through the statement, my initial reaction was to ignore it; but after a deep reflection, I thought the best thing to do was to issue a rebuttal, to, at least, set the records straight. For the purpose of clarification, it is important to state very unequivocally that as an elder statesman and a founding member of the Turaki Committee headed by the late President Shehu Shagari, which birthed the ACF, I am not unaware of the aims and objectives of the forum, part of which is to promote the unity, peace, progress, prosperity and overall development of the North within the framework of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic Nigeria.”
He denied speaking extempore to journalists on a number of national issues, especially with regard to the unfolding political situation in Kogi, at his Kaduna residence on Saturday, June 24.
Source: The Guardian