Northern Elders Remove Aduku, Name Osuman Chairman

The Board of Trustees (BOT) and the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has replaced Chief Gabriel Adiku with Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN) as the chairman of the apex Northern socio-cultural organisation.

The decision was taken yesterday at a joint a meeting of the BoT and NEC.

Details of his removal were not given in the statement announcing the replacement and inauguration of Board of Trustees (BoT) members, chairman NEC and the secretary general of the forum.

The publicity secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, in his explanation to what actually played out, said: “No ACF chairman was “elected” as such. A set of persons were selected and presented but were never inaugurated.

“The list was reviewed by ACF’s leadership selection committee; it’s the final list that was now presented, approved by the joint Assembly and inaugurated”.

The newly endorsed, approved and inaugurated leadership of ACF are Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Dalhatu (chairman, BoT), Senator Fred Orti (deputy chairman, BoT) Amb. Ibrahim Mai Sule, Turkish Bade (Vice Chairman, BoT) Mamman Mike Osuman (Chairman, NEC) and Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, Matawalen Gombe (secretary general) among other members of the National Executive Committee.

The new chairman, Osuman, in his acceptance speech paid tribute to the founding members of ACF and pledged to reinvigorate a new ACF that will be different in outlook and impact as it seeks to contribute to national discourse on issues relevant to the Nigeria Project.

The meeting, he said, also received a goodwill message from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. George Akume who also urged the ACF to provide the needed leadership for ushering a new Northern Nigeria in its bid to overcome the multi-faceted social and economic problems, as well as for unity.

On Monday, the Kogi East Elders Council (KEEC) had alleged that there were clandestine moves orchestrated by their state to mortally injure the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) through the unwarranted attempt to cause the premature and ill-advised removal of its chairman, Chief (Arc) Gabriel Yakubu Aduku who assumed the office of the august organisation only recently.”