The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said on Wednesday that it will not bow to external pressure as the organization’s internal leadership dispute entered its seventh day.
The dispute began when the suspended chairman of the Forum’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, announced that the terms of four BoT officers, including Secretary‑General Murtala Aliyu, had expired on 10 March and urged them to vacate their posts. The statement was quickly challenged by the NEC, whose spokesman Prof. T. A. Muhammad‑Baba called the BoT’s move “illegal” and contrary to the Forum’s constitution.
Ahead of the NEC’s scheduled meeting, police sealed the ACF national secretariat on Sokoto Road in Kaduna, alleging that the action was intended to prevent a clash between the two factions. The NEC, which met at an undisclosed venue, responded by suspending BoT chairman Dalhatu over alleged financial misconduct and breaches of the Forum’s constitution. BoT members rejected the suspension and continued to press their claim that the Secretary‑General’s tenure had ended, accusing Aliyu of fueling the crisis.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Muhammad‑Baba, detailed the outcome of the NEC session held on 6 March. The committee warned that any appointment or assignment made by the BoT or its chairman would be “null, void and of no effect” and would not be recognised by the organization. The statement also condemned the police seizure of the secretariat as an “egregious assault on constitutional rights” of ACF members in northern Nigeria and elsewhere.
The NEC demanded the immediate withdrawal of the police and the reversal of the siege, calling for disciplinary action against those responsible. It praised members who had resisted intimidation and reiterated its commitment to lawful, democratic processes. “Our leadership will not submit to manipulation,” the NEC chairman said, urging continued resolve to preserve the Forum’s collective voice in national affairs.
The committee approved the formation of a new Leadership Selection Committee and instructed the chairman to implement the restructuring without interference from the BoT. A vote of confidence was also passed for the National Working Committee, urging members to remain steadfast to the ACF constitution.
In its closing remarks, the NEC declared the Arewa Consultative Forum “unbroken, undeterred and more united than ever,” calling on Nigerians, particularly those from the North, to stand together in support of the rule of law and to reject impunity and abuse of power.
The standoff remains unresolved, but the NEC’s firm stance signals that the Forum will pursue its internal renewal through constitutional channels, while monitoring any further actions by security agencies. The next steps are expected to involve the newly constituted leadership panel, which will chart a path forward for the ACF’s role in Nigeria’s political landscape.
