Northern leaders, converging in Kaduna for the climax of the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday issued a stark warning that the North must urgently rebuild its unity to confront escalating insecurity.
This call was dramatically amplified by Southern Nigerian statesman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere, who declared the current level of violence is the worst the Nigerian State has experienced since independence in 1960.
Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, represented by his Deputy Hadiza Balarabe, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to sustained peace, inclusion and rural transformation as pillars of development.
Sani outlined the “Kaduna Peace Model”, an integrated approach to governance, security, infrastructure, and social reforms aimed at restoring stability.
Delivering a goodwill message, Fasoranti praised the ACF’s role as a stabilizing voice and platform for national dialogue, but urged the forum to redouble its efforts to find solutions to the country’s mounting challenges. “Our challenges, though immense and complex, are not insurmountable,” he said, emphasizing the need for “sincerity of purpose, courageous leadership, and a renewed commitment to fairness and justice”.
The high-profile event drew political heavyweights and socio-cultural groups, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Aliko ÆŠangote, former governor Nasir el-Rufa’i, former governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other prominent figures, underscored the gravity of the situation and the imperative for Northern and Southern leaders to forge a united front.
