Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) must return to its founding mission of uniting the north and driving a development-focused agenda that reflects the vision of the late Ahmadu Bello.

Speaking on Friday in Kaduna at the 25th anniversary celebration of the ACF, Abubakar said the forum was established not only to consolidate regional unity but also to revive the north’s long-standing agenda of education, agriculture and industrial growth.

Abubakar said the north must confront its developmental stagnation with renewed urgency.

“The major issue with our unity is our failure to manage our diversity,” he said.