A bitter leadership crisis within the Arewa Consultative Forum escalated on Monday after the forum’s National Executive Committee and Board of Trustees issued conflicting positions over the suspension of the BoT chairman, Bashir Dalhatu, over allegations of constitutional violations and financial misconduct.
The dispute erupted after the NEC announced Dalhatu’s suspension in a communiqué issued following a meeting in Kaduna and signed by the forum’s national publicity secretary, Tukur Muhammad-Baba.
The executive committee accused Dalhatu of interfering in the day-to-day administration of the organisation, unlawfully constituting committees, improperly handling the forum’s finances and undermining the constitutional structure of the influential northern socio-political body.
According to the communiqué, delegates from 18 northern states and the federal capital territory attended the meeting convened by the ACF national chairman, Mamman Mike Osman.
The NEC further alleged that Dalhatu attempted to frustrate the meeting by circulating a message on the organisation’s WhatsApp platform warning members against attending what he described as an “unauthorised meeting”.
The committee also accused security operatives of barricading the ACF secretariat in Kaduna and preventing delegates, staff and visitors from accessing the premises before the meeting began.
Despite the alleged blockade, NEC members said they relocated to an alternative venue where proceedings continued.
At the centre of the dispute is an interim report submitted by the forum’s Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee, chaired by Nuhu M Jamo, following a petition filed by an ACF member, Murtala Abubakar.
The petition accused Dalhatu of constitutional breaches, financial malpractice and weakening the governance structure of the forum.
Among the allegations was a claim that the BoT chairman transferred funds from the ACF Endowment Fund out of the organisation’s official Kaduna accounts to a branch of Jaiz Bank in Kano and subsequently made himself a signatory to the account, despite constitutional provisions allegedly barring him from such a role.
The petition also accused Dalhatu of establishing committees without approval from the NEC or National Working Committee and involving individuals allegedly not registered as members of the forum in official activities.
According to the communiqué, the ethics committee found prima facie evidence of violations relating to committee formation, financial administration and membership procedures.
The committee concluded that the ACF constitution vested authority over financial matters and committee appointments in the NEC and designated officers, while the Board of Trustees was intended to play only supervisory and advisory roles.
Following deliberations, the NEC adopted the committee’s recommendations, including a vote of no confidence in Dalhatu, his suspension pending further investigations and an immediate forensic audit of the forum’s finances.
The communiqué further alleged that Dalhatu assumed direct control over the forum’s finances in breach of constitutional provisions and cited a letter dated 20 November 2025 addressed to Jaiz Bank’s Kano East branch directing that the ACF account be transferred.
Although the letter was reportedly co-signed by the forum’s secretary general, Murtala Aliyu, the committee claimed he was pressured into doing so.
The NEC also condemned what it described as the “unprecedented siege” and sealing of the forum’s headquarters by police, calling it “an egregious assault” on the constitutional rights of organisations and individuals in northern Nigeria.
It expressed solidarity with Aliyu and urged him to remain in office until the end of his tenure in December 2026.
But in a sharply worded response, the Board of Trustees rejected Dalhatu’s suspension outright and declared the NEC action unconstitutional and legally invalid.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the trustees accused what they described as a “tiny, disgruntled minority” within the forum of convening an illegitimate gathering where “baseless allegations” were made against Dalhatu.
“The National Executive Council of ACF lacks the authority whatsoever to make any legal pronouncement on the leadership of the Board of Trustees,” the BoT stated.
“It has no powers under our constitution to appoint, suspend or remove any member of the Board of Trustees, let alone its chairman.”
The trustees described the suspension as “a dangerous act of indiscipline” and “gross insubordination”, accusing the NEC of attempting to undermine the foundations of the forum.
The BoT also accused ACF chairman Mamman Mike Osman of enabling what it called illegal actions carried out by Aliyu, whom it claimed ceased to hold office after 10 March 2026.
According to the trustees, all decisions and actions taken by the secretary general after that date were “null and void”.
The board reaffirmed confidence in Dalhatu and insisted that funds contributed to the ACF Endowment Fund remained secure despite the allegations.
The latest confrontation marks a deepening fracture within one of northern Nigeria’s most influential political and socio-cultural organisations, raising questions over leadership legitimacy, internal accountability and the future cohesion of the forum ahead of a politically sensitive election cycle.
