Arewa Removes BOT Chairman Over Alleged Misconduct

By George OPARA

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), National Executive Committee (NEC) has suspended the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, over allegations of financial misconduct and violation its constitution.

The resolution was reached at an emergency NEC meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday, amid growing tensions within the northern socio-political group and reported disputes over access to its headquarters.

The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukor Muhammad-Baba who disclosed this while briefing newsmen said delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the session after relocating from the forum’s sealed headquarters to another venue in Kaduna.

He said the NEC condemned what it described as unlawful restriction of access to the ACF secretariat, arguing that it amounted to interference in the organisation’s internal affairs and freedom of association.

Muhammad-Baba, however, maintained that the forum does not face a leadership crisis, but rather challenges linked to differing interpretations of its constitution and alleged overreach by some individuals.

The meeting struck the decision after considering the report of an Ethics and Conduct Committee set up to review a petition on financial management and governance within the organisation.

The NEC preliminary findings was said to have raised serious concerns requiring further investigation, particularly regarding due process and financial accountability.

Based on the recommendations, the NEC passed a vote of no confidence in Dalhatu and approved his immediate suspension as BoT chairman, pending the outcome of further investigations.

The committee also ordered a forensic audit of the forum’s finances, including its Endowment Fund, with a directive to recover any funds found to have been improperly managed.

The NEC reaffirmed confidence in the current National Working Committee led by Mike Mamman Osuman (SAN), and maintained existing administrative arrangements pending constitutional review.

Political watchers said the resolution smacks a major escalation in internal tensions within the ACF as disputes over governance and leadership structure continue to manifest.