North Tired of Bola Tinubu, Atiku, Peter Obi, Says ACF

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that President Bola Tinubu has lost significant political standing in the North since 2023, warning that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi offer no credible alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, made the declaration in an interview on PrimeTime Arise Television. Mohammed-Baba described the entire Nigerian political class as bereft of ideas, driven by personal ambition, and incapable of addressing the twin crises of insecurity and economic meltdown ravaging the country.

Mohammed-Baba said, "I have not seen a party that articulates a clear policy ambition or an ideological standard. The average northern voter is disillusioned and has been for a long time. We've tried all kinds of permutations—northern candidates, Muslim-Muslim tickets, and so on. It seems to the average northerner that all this politics is about personalities and personal interests. It is not about people."

Mohammed-Baba also took aim at Obi's running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying his recent remarks invoking northern icons Ahmadu Bello and Aminu Kano while positioning himself as a "new Messiah" were deeply offensive to northern sensibilities.

Mohammed-Baba stated, "In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative. An alternative in terms of what? Has he articulated anything on the economy, security, or anything on infrastructure? When you keep talking about things in abstract terms that run counter-intuitive to what the people have held on to, you will run into trouble."

When pressed to identify any presidential aspirant who might command northern confidence, Mohammed-Baba declined to name a single name, saying, "We are waiting to see."

Mohammed-Baba also challenged the APC's strategy of crushing opposition parties through defections and court actions. "Nothing fails like success," he warned. "Be very careful, because sometimes complacency can spring surprises."

According to him, with fuel prices exceeding N1,300 per litre in most parts of the country, out-of-school children running into millions, and bandits imposing levies on farmers across Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara states, Mohammed-Baba said the 2027 contest would ultimately be decided not by political alliances or region, but by whichever candidate first offers Nigerians a credible way out.

Mohammed-Baba asked, "Is there anybody offering an alternative now? I don't see anything."

Mohammed-Baba equally dismissed the notion that the North constitutes a single deliverable voting bloc. "No one region can determine on its own the outcome of a presidential election, and the North has never been able to do so alone, outside of military rule," he said.

The ACF spokesperson argued that the North's diversity makes such calculations simplistic. He said, "We are waiting to see," indicating that the North will not back any single candidate without evidence of a clear alternative.

Mohammed-Baba's views reflect the deep-seated frustration in the North, where many feel that the current crop of politicians has failed them. His statements highlight the need for genuine leadership that can address the twin crises of insecurity and economic meltdown.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is a prominent socio-political organization with a long history of advocacy for the interests of the North. Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, its National Publicity Secretary, is the second-in-command of the forum and has been vocal on several national issues.

As a seasoned academic and public intellectual, Mohammed-Baba's opinions carry significant weight. His statements on the North's loss of confidence in the current crop of politicians may have far-reaching implications for the 2027 presidential election.

Mohammed-Baba has called for a new approach to governance that prioritizes national interests over personal ambitions. He has challenged the current power structure to provide a genuine alternative that can address the twin crises of insecurity and economic meltdown.

In light of the ACF's declaration, it's clear that the North will have to decide whether to back a new candidate with a clear policy agenda or continue to support the status quo.

The ACF's warning about President Bola Tinubu's lost standing in the North since 2023, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi offering no credible alternative, Rabiu Kwankwaso's deeply offensive remarks invoking northern icons, and the dire economic and security situation in the country all suggest a tough road ahead for presidential aspirants.