The Arewa Joint Committee that interacted with some presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 presidential election said the exercise was not meant to endorse any particular candidate for the forthcoming election.

The Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Jamiyyar Matan Arewa, Arewa House Centre for Historical Development and Research and Arewa Research Development Project make up the Arewa Joint Committee.

On the invitation list of the Arewa leaders for the interactive meeting were the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the Peoples Redemption Party, Kola Abiola; the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo; the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

However, Kwankwaso failed to turn up for the event saying he chose not to participate while alleging that the Arewa Joint Committee had endorsed their preferred candidate.

The Chairman of the Joint Committee, Mallam Murtala Aliyu, who is also the Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, insisted at a media briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday that the interaction with the various presidential candidates was not for endorsement.

He explained that the exercise was part of a plan to generate a commitment to address the challenges of the region by candidates.