ACF: There Are Moves to Engineer Crisis to Destabilise Us

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has raised the alarm over moves by agents within and outside the forum to engineer a crisis aimed at destabilising or annihilating the organisation.

The forum also debunked reports of a leadership change within its hierarchy, describing the purported development as false.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, the forum said it became necessary to issue a disclaimer, as directed by the National Chairman, Mike Mamman Osuman, in order to set the record straight.

The ACF said the leadership of the forum was neither aware of nor had directed anyone to issue any statement on the purported change.

According to the statement, “The attention of the ACF has been drawn to an announcement of a change in the leadership of the organisation. The news is totally false, and the purported action from which the announcement was derived is unconstitutional.

“Emphatically, the leadership of the forum has neither authorised, nor is it aware of, nor has it communicated any such change. The announcement should therefore be treated as null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the ACF finds it necessary to clarify as follows: the approval of leaders of the forum is vested in its General Assembly, which is yet to be convened for the purpose of filling any vacancies.”

The ACF further explained: “Section 8(6) of the ACF Constitution empowers the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the forum ‘to give general advice and direction on matters relating to the aims and objectives.’

“Any role outside the provisions of this section is unknown to the Constitution of the ACF. Thus, the BoT has no authority to order any leadership change.

“The power to set up operational committees for any purpose is vested only in the NEC, as provided in Section 14 of the ACF Constitution. The purported setting up of a Constitution Review Committee is therefore unconstitutional.

“The so-called Leadership Selection Committee is not recognised by the Constitution and exists, at the behest of the NEC, in the exercise of its powers under item (o) of Section 14(1). The committee is an ad hoc body created solely for vetting and making recommendations to the NEC for consideration and transmission to the General Assembly for approval.”

The statement added: “The last Leadership Selection Committee fulfilled its role in 2023 and has since been dissolved. It is yet to be reconstituted. The NEC is already in the process of reconstituting the committee. Consequently, any action, assignment, function, or announcement by any person or group claiming to exercise such powers is irregular, unconstitutional, and will remain unrecognised.

“Mallam Murtala Aliyu remains in office as Secretary-General until a successor emerges in accordance with due process.

“It is highly regrettable that the ACF is compelled to issue this statement, which may create the impression of a leadership crisis within the organisation.

“There is no such crisis, even though the forum is aware of clandestine and subterranean moves to engineer one to destabilise or annihilate the organisation, most likely by incentivised agents operating within and outside the ACF,” the statement said.