The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has discreetly constituted a special ad-hoc team to monitor initial actions and developments in the Presidency under Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, The Nation has learnt.

At a special meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, members of the team met to work out modalities and resolutions that can enable the Presidency perform without hindrance or distraction from people who may have links with ACF.

The fulfilment of Jonathan’s alleged pledge to some individuals on the necessity of transparent 2011 elections appears to be the overriding consideration in ACF’s decision to give him all the necessary support.

Although he insisted that no committee was set up to monitor developments, ACF’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani and Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, a member of its executive council, asserted that among other expectations, the North is giving priority to preparations for credible elections in 2011.

"Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is a product of luck, national consensus and forces of national unity; as a result, the nation would expect him to bring Nigerians together so that they can unleash their collective potentials. He needs to hasten electoral reforms so that peoples’ votes will count and produce leaders who will have abiding faith in peoples’ judgement by 2011.

"Jonathan’s government should try to make a difference in the lives of people and enable a good number of Nigerians across the country to make differences in their own lives and those of others," Sani, a lawyer stated.

Members in two existing committees of the ACF –the ACF Strategy Committee and its Rapid Response Committee – along with members of its national executive council participated at Tuesday’s meeting of the team.

Members of the Strategy Committee include Alhaji Abdurahman Mohammed, General Ali Magoro (rtd), General Wushishi (rtd), Col Isa Kachako (rtd) and a former minister, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu.

Membership of the ACF Rapid Response Committee includes officials of the body such as the ACF Secretary-General, Col. Musa Shehu (rtd), its Publicity Secretary, Mr Anthony Sani, ACF’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Bitrus Gwaddah and the Secretary of Niger State chapter of ACF.

Others at the meeting included ACF’s Treasurer, Alhaji Aliko M. Mohammed and Hajia Halima Alfa, a member of ACF’s National Working Committee.

Speaking with The Nation On Saturday, a member of the ACF, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, denied the existence of a committee to handle such responsibilities, adding that only a committee on Jos crises, led by General A. D. Mamman, met on Tuesday.

However, he acknowledged that ACF has worked out plans to keep abreast of developments around the Jonathan administration and curb the machinations of persons with selfish agenda who might also want to derail his good intentions.

"We have had enough of this predicament that Nigeria has entered into and we want to give full support to Jonathan. If we find that anybody is trying to distract Jonathan, we will speak up immediately because we want him to get things right", he said.

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