Key Takeaways
- Detachment of Policemen from Kaduna Government House have shut down the office of Arewa Consultative Forum in Kaduna ahead of the meeting with Atiku Abubakar tomorrow.
- The shutdown has sparked outrage over gross disrespect to the North and her leadership, with questions about whether the Inspector-General of Police is aware.
- The meeting with Atiku Abubakar, ADC presidential candidate, was scheduled for tomorrow in Kaduna — the closure is seen by critics as an attempt to block opposition engagement with Northern elders.
A detachment of Policemen from Kaduna Government House have allegedly shut down the office of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna ahead of the meeting with Atiku Abubakar tomorrow.
The development, which was reported on X by Senator Dino Melaye, has sparked outrage across Northern Nigeria and beyond.
“What is this country turning to. I want to believe the IG is not aware of this gross disrespect to the North and her leadership,” the post reads.
Detachment of Policemen from Kaduna Government House have shut down the office of Arewa Consultative Forun in Kaduna ahead of the meeting with Atiku Abubakar tomorrow. What is this country turning to. I want to believe the IG is not aware of this gross disrespect to the North…
— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@_dinomelaye) November 11, 2026
The Arewa Consultative Forum, founded in 2000, is one of the most influential socio-political groups in Northern Nigeria, representing the interests of the 19 Northern states and serving as a platform for engagement with presidential candidates ahead of elections.
Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was scheduled to meet with the ACF leadership in Kaduna tomorrow as part of his consultations with Northern stakeholders ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The shutdown of the ACF office, a day before that meeting, has raised questions about whether the action was aimed at preventing the meeting from holding.
Critics on X have described the action as an attack on democratic engagement and a gross disrespect to the North and her leadership, arguing that the ACF — as an elder statesmen body — should not be sealed by police over a political meeting.
Supporters of the Kaduna State Government and the APC, however, are yet to issue an official statement explaining the reason for the police detachment and the closure.
As of the time of filing this report, there is no official confirmation from the Kaduna State Police Command or the Force Headquarters on whether the Inspector-General of Police ordered the shutdown, or whether he is aware of it.
The Arewa Consultative Forum has also not yet issued an official statement on the shutdown.
For many in the North, the question remains: if the office of the ACF can be shut down ahead of a meeting with an opposition candidate, what is this country turning to?
