2023: APC Campaign Council Mocks PDP Over ACF’s Endorsement Of Atiku, Says Its Just A Group

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has mocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the alleged endorsement of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

According to the APC campaign council, the so-called endorsement of Atiku from the ACF doesn’t mean anything or intimidate its flag bearer, Bola Tinubu.

The council submitted that the pronouncement from a chieftain of the ACF identified as Muhammad Yakubu on Monday contradicted that of the ACF Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, who had, on Sunday asked northerners and Nigerians to vote for any candidate of their choice.

Naija News reported on Monday that Yakubu had said the Atiku was the endorsed candidate of the north.

Yakubu’s claim however contradicts what the forum’s Secretary-General said about the preferred candidate of the north.

Yakubu, who is the ACF National Assistant Auditor, told pressmen on Monday that recent statements by notable northern elders such as Alhaji Zango Daura, and Prof. Ango Abdullahi, among others is evidence enough to know that the region had settled for Atiku.

He said, “The North supported Obasanjo and he won; the North supported former President Goodluck Jonathan and Jonathan won.

“The North is supporting Atiku not because Atiku is from the North. No, it’s because at this point, among the candidates we have now, it is Atiku that has the capacity, the competence and the integrity and the reach across the country.”

Aliyu, in an earlier statement on Sunday, told Nigerians to vote for a presidential candidate with clear and objective party manifestos and the character and track records of the candidates.

However, reacting to Yakubu’s claim of endorsement, the Director of Strategic Communications of the APC council, Idris Mohammed, on Wednesday said Tinubu wasn’t bothered about the so-called endorsement as he “Tinubu is not losing sleep” over the said position of the ACF.

Mohammed said, “As far as we are concerned, the ACF is just a group. There are lots of northern groups out there who have also supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He is not only reaching out to groups, but he is also campaigning to the masses.

“Everywhere you go, you will see the kind of crowd that Tinubu has amassed and the commentaries people make about him. So, we really don’t take the ACF endorsement seriously.

“What we take seriously is the way Nigerians, especially the northerners you talked about are going to vote. We are very optimistic that Asiwaju is going to emerge victorious in Saturday’s poll. Anybody can say anything.”