2027: ACF urges Nigerians to vote on conscience, reject political violence

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged Nigerians to vote according to their individual assessment of candidates and issues in the 2027 elections, rather than merely following the directives of political parties.

The forum also cautioned politicians and youths against violence before and after the elections, warning that no political contest was worth the loss of human life.

The ACF Chairman, Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, made the call in a message marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on Thursday.

Osuman urged eligible Nigerians to obtain and secure their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate responsibly in the electoral process.

He, however, said citizens should exercise their franchise based on “individual analysis, conscience, judgment and assessment of the candidates and the issues”.

“The vote of every citizen is a personal expression of choice and a constitutional instrument for determining who should be entrusted with public responsibility. Let us therefore vote responsibly, peacefully and conscientiously,” he said.

The ACF chairman warned that the period leading to elections and the period immediately after them could be tense, urging citizens, particularly youths, to avoid trouble-prone locations and gatherings.

“No political contest is worth the loss of a human life,” he said, while calling on Nigerians to reject violence, inflammatory rhetoric, provocation and destruction of lives and property.

Osuman also used the anniversary to express concern over the insecurity, displacement, economic hardship, poverty and other forms of deprivation affecting Nigerians, particularly communities across the North.

He said the challenges had disrupted economic activities, closed schools, separated families and destroyed livelihoods.

According to him, some of the difficulties were “perpetrated or aggravated by persons into whose hands we have entrusted the responsibility of leadership and governance”.

He described leadership as a “sacred trust”, urging public officials to remember that their positions were held in trust for the people and the common good.

The ACF chairman further called for introspection among northerners, questioning whether the region remained committed to collective responsibility or had become increasingly driven by individual interests.

He said divisions along ethnic, religious and political lines should not be allowed to undermine the region’s collective interests.

“The strength of any society lies not merely in its numbers or resources, but in the quality of its unity, its shared values, its commitment to justice and its willingness to place the common good above narrow personal interests,” he said.

Osuman urged northern communities to regard their diversity as a source of strength rather than a basis for division.

He also called on parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders and teachers to play a greater role in shaping the character of young Nigerians.

He said youths should be taught honesty, discipline, hard work, tolerance, patriotism, peaceful coexistence and respect for the rule of law.

According to him, securing Nigeria’s future requires collective responsibility involving families, traditional institutions, religious bodies, schools, civil society organisations and citizens.

The ACF chairman called for renewed commitment to peace, unity, responsible citizenship, justice, good governance and the dignity of every Nigerian.

He said Nigerians might differ in tribe, faith, language, political persuasion and geographical origin, but remained bound by a common destiny.

The forum’s message comes as political parties and aspirants begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the ACF urging citizens to place the common good above narrow political, ethnic or personal interests.