ABUJA- THE Presidency yesterday hailed members and leadership of Northern Socio- Cultural Organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF for taking a neutral position on the Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd ahead of February, 2015 general elections.
In a statement yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof Ahmed Rufai Alkali, the Presidency noted that it was highly commendable that the ACF disowned insinuations in some quarters that it has adopted anyone as its consensus presidential candidate.
It would be recalled that Chairman of ACF, Ahaji Ibrahim Cooma­sie, was quoted to have said at the weekend that the body had ad­opted the 2015 Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, but shortly after the report, a member of the National Executive Council of the ACF, Al­haji Salisu Garba, at a press conference, said the chairman of the forum was on his own, as no member of the NEC had met to en­dorse the former head of state as the sole candi­date of the North for the 2015 presidency.
Alkali who noted that the neutrality adopted by the ACF has restored the prestige of the organization which was duly recognized as the umbrella body of all Northerners, said, “The denial by the Arewa Consultative Forum of a purported endorsement of a particular Presidential Candidate in the 2015 General Elections once more re-enforces the core principles of the organization as a neutral association formed to protect the values and interests of all people of the North irrespective of their political, ethnic or religious affiliations.
“The statement of denial which called the so-called adoption by a section of its leadership as their personal opinion is indeed a welcome development and has boosted public confidence in the association as a robust platform for all the people of the North.
“We are ardent believers in the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association for all individuals and groups but the tendency to utilize noble associations to further some partisan interests is unfair and unjust.
“We earlier had cause to raise concern about the disturbing statements emanating from some leaders of some of the Socio-cultural organizations in the country We did not imagine that an individual, selected to head the group will stretch the boundaries of decency to use its platform to express his partisan opinions without clearance from the larger group.
“The timely denial by the ACF as a body has therefore restored the prestige of the organization which is duly recognized as the umbrella body of all Northerners.
“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan respects the rights and dignity of all individuals and constituent groups and will always be comfortable if they use their platforms to preach peaceful co-existence rather than promote primordial acrimonies.
“We therefore commend the ACF for coming out as a body to distance themselves from this phantom endorsement. We believe that the ACF is home to Northerners belonging to all political associations in the country.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/2015-presidency-hails-acfs-neutrality/