ACF Board of Trustees overturns chairman's removal, deems move unlawful

The Arewa Consultative Forum's Board of Trustees has vehemently rejected the purported suspension of its chairman, Bashir Dalhatu, slamming the move as a blatant breach of the forum's constitution and an illegitimate act of recklessness.

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The Board of Trustees issued a statement on Sunday, casting aspersions on a small but disgruntled faction within the forum, which it claimed had convened an unauthorized meeting on May 6, 2026, to level unfounded allegations against Dalhatu.

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The trustees asserted that the National Executive Council of the forum lacked the constitutional authority to make decisions regarding the appointment, suspension, or removal of members of the Board of Trustees, including its chairman.

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The statement explicitly stated that the National Executive Council of ACF had no powers under the forum's Constitution to make any pronouncements on the leadership of the Board of Trustees, let alone appoint, suspend, or remove its members.

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The Board of Trustees characterized the move as a flagrant act of indiscipline, gross insubordination, and a blatant attempt to undermine the very foundations of the forum, describing it as "a dangerous act of indiscipline, gross insubordination and a blatant attempt to undermine the very foundation of the forum".

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The trustees also accused Mike Mamman Osman, the Chairman of the National Executive Committee, of permitting the alleged illegal actions of Murtala Aliyu, the immediate past Secretary-General of the forum, whose tenure had expired on March 10, 2026.

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According to the Board of Trustees, all actions taken by Aliyu after March 10, 2026, were null, void, and of no effect, and it was unfortunate that Osman had allowed such illegal actions to occur.

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The Board of Trustees revealed that Aliyu was under investigation for his conduct while in office and that a comprehensive probe had been ordered into the circumstances surrounding the controversy, which was allegedly aimed at tarnishing the image of the northern socio-political organisation.

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The trustees denied rumors of a leadership crisis within the forum, insisting that the organisation remained united and focused on its mandate, and that the current situation was merely the result of a disgruntled former officer's refusal to vacate his seat after his tenure had expired.

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The forum expressed its continued confidence in Dalhatu and pledged to restore discipline and order within the organisation, while also assuring the public that funds donated towards the ACF Endowment Fund were safe and beyond the control of the secretariat, NEC, or the BoT.

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A high-powered panel had already been constituted to oversee the implementation and management of the endowment fund project, according to the board, and the statement was endorsed by several prominent northern leaders, including Abdullahi Adamu, Sule Lamido, Ibrahim Shekarau, Lai Mohammed, and Tukur Buratai, among others.

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However, Murtala Aliyu responded to the allegations, claiming that his tenure remained valid due to his re-election in 2023, and that he had documents to support his appointment, re-election, and inauguration in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

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Aliyu argued that his re-election had effectively renewed his mandate, contrary to the Board of Trustees' claims that his tenure had expired, citing his re-election in July 2023 and inauguration in December 2023 as evidence.

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The latest dispute is seen as part of growing internal tensions within the ACF, which has been grappling with disagreements over leadership structure, administration, and the management of its affairs in recent months.