The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has issued a sharp rebuke of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for prioritizing early preparations for the 2027 elections and political defections over addressing Nigeria’s escalating security and economic challenges.

In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the northern socio-political organization expressed profound disappointment at the APC-led government’s inadequate response to the nation’s deteriorating conditions.

“Public policy responses to the insecurity situation, especially in the northern part of the country, have remained ineffective, while reckless and extravagant public spending continues unchecked,” the statement said.

The ACF specifically condemned the proposed 2025 budget allocation of over N260 million for individual streetlight projects, describing it as “a most perverse illustration of reckless profligacy.” The forum lamented the lack of any official denial or explanation for such expenditures, warning that this “underscores the disconnect between public officials and the people, whose living conditions are worsening by the day.”

The statement also criticized what it termed “delusional hubris” in official pronouncements regarding national security, contrasting these claims with the stark realities faced by state governors grappling with crises on the ground.

“These obsessions with defections, premature campaigns, and self-serving political maneuvers ignore the growing mass disillusionment, despair, and hopelessness felt by many Nigerians,” the ACF added.

Despite these challenges, the forum commended the resilience of Nigerians particularly those in the North for celebrating Eid-el-Kabir amid severe economic hardships.

“Their ability to celebrate amid inflation, wage erosion, and existential uncertainty is a testament to their strength a quality that should not be exploited or taken for granted,” the statement emphasized.

Concluding the release, the ACF called on political leaders at all levels to urgently refocus on good governance, warning that without immediate action, Nigeria’s socio-economic and security crises will worsen.

“The real campaign should be for stability, not 2027. Fix the country first,” the forum urged.