BREAKING: ACF Crisis Depeens As NEC Suspends BoT Chair Dalhatu, Orders Forensic Audit

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended the chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, over allegations of financial misconduct and constitutional breaches.

The decision was reached during an emergency NEC meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday, amid heightened tension following reports of police restriction of access to the Forum’s headquarters ahead of scheduled deliberations.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukor Muhammad-Baba, disclosed that delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were eventually able to convene after relocating from the Forum’s sealed premises to an alternative venue within Kaduna metropolis.

He condemned the development, describing it as an infringement on the group’s rights.

“The NEC condemned what it described as the unlawful restriction of access to its headquarters, insisting it amounted to interference with the right of association and internal affairs of the organisation,” he said.

Muhammad-Baba also dismissed suggestions of a leadership breakdown within the forum, maintaining that the situation had been mischaracterised.

“The NEC maintained that there was no leadership crisis within the ACF, but rather attempts at misinterpretation of constitutional provisions and alleged usurpation of authority by certain individuals,” he stated.

However, deliberations took a decisive turn following the presentation of a report by an Ethics and Conduct Committee set up to probe a petition on alleged financial management and governance practices within the Forum.

According to him, “the committee’s preliminary findings pointed to serious concerns requiring further investigation, particularly in relation to due process and financial administration.”

Based on the committee’s recommendations, the ACF NEC passed a vote of no confidence on Dalhatu and approved his immediate suspension as chairman of the Board of Trustees pending the outcome of further investigations.

In addition, the committee ordered “an immediate forensic audit of all financial activities of the ACF, including its Endowment Fund, with instructions to recover any funds found to have been improperly managed.”

The NEC also reaffirmed confidence in the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by ACF chairman, Mr. Mike Mamman Osuman, SAN, while maintaining the position of the Secretary General pending any constitutional review.

Reiterating its stance on the earlier development, the Forum again condemned the alleged police barricade of its headquarters, describing it as “an unacceptable interference with its operations and constitutional rights