ACF, MBF Fault Yilwatda On 70% Northern Votes For Tinubu Claim

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, the Arewa Consultative Discussion board (ACF), and the Heart Belt Discussion board (MBF) have disagreed with the Nationwide Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, over his prediction that President Bola Tinubu gets 70 p.c of northern votes within the 2027 election.

Whilst the ACF mentioned the APC Nationwide Chairman was once expressing a laughable non-public opinion, the MBF described it as wishful pondering.

Yilwatda made the prediction on Saturday on the commissioning of the Arewa for Asiwaju secretariat in Abuja, the place he steered folks within the area to strengthen Tinubu’s re-election bid, bringing up infrastructure tasks, appointments and different tasks of the President’s management.

The APC chairman indexed highway tasks throughout northern states, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gasoline pipeline, irrigation dams, railway tasks, healthcare tasks and the Nigerian Schooling Mortgage Fund a number of the interventions he mentioned must inspire the North to strengthen Tinubu for a 2d time period.

Reacting to Prof. Yilwatda’s prediction, ACF Nationwide Exposure Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, advised LEADERSHIP that it was once disappointing for the APC Nationwide Chairman to make any such declare when votes have now not been solid.

Brushing aside the prediction, Muhammad Baba mentioned, “The prediction by way of the chairman could be very disappointing. It reinforces our view that the political place of job holders recently within the nation don’t seem to be ready to permit democracy to develop or to thrive.

“One, he isn’t the citizens. The citizens, as you understand, are those that will solid their votes, except, after all, it’s an assurance and knowledge that they are going to rig the election. There’s no approach, and it doesn’t make sense, that you’ll are expecting votes that experience now not been solid. And we’re about 90 days clear of the elections. So, at best possible, I believe he’s simply expressing a non-public opinion. At worst, they’re looking to promote a dummy to the president that he’s going to win.”

He added, “The nationwide chairman isn’t the voter. So, I believe it’s one thing to be laughed at. It’s one thing to disregard. I’m hoping for his sake, he’s going to now not someday are living to feel sorry about that remark. However it’s indisputably laughable. And we don’t proportion the opinion in any respect. So it’s now not a prophecy. It’s a want, and except there’s some goal in the back of it, we will be able to simply snicker at it as some other marketing campaign slogan and that’s all.

“In reality, I’m shocked if it’s a marketing campaign slogan. It’s like me telling you that the president won’t win 25 p.c in any respect — chances are you’ll snicker as a result of It’s not that i am the voter. So I believe it’s the similar factor. Those that suppose he’s going to rating 70 p.c are deceiving themselves, simply as those that suppose he’s going to now not win 10 p.c also are simply expressing reviews. So, I imply, it’s not anything to fret about. I’m certain it’s a non-public opinion and it’s allowed underneath the Charter. That’s all I will be able to say for now,” the ACF spokesperson mentioned.