By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Northern socio-cultural organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has announced plans to curb unauthorized and contradictory statements by its officials, affirming the authority of its Board of Trustees (BOT) to enforce a binding communication protocol.
According to the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, the move aims to ensure a unified voice for the prominent Northern body ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a meeting of the Forum’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday in Kaduna, Alhaji Dalhatu stated that the BOT has the constitutional obligation and final authority to regulate how officials address the press and the public.
The decision, he explained, was prompted by recent incidents in which senior ACF officials at both national and state levels issued conflicting public statements, undermining the Forum’s cohesion.
Dalhatu disclosed that a draft policy document has been prepared by the Secretariat to formalize the new communication protocols amid rising political activities in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
The ACF Chairman also reminded members to uphold the organization’s principle of “corporate political neutrality.”
While acknowledging that individual members may belong to political parties, he stressed that the ACF as an institution remains non-partisan and will not support one political party over another.
The meeting further served as a platform to unveil the ACF’s plans for its forthcoming Silver Jubilee, slated for November 2025. The three-day event will focus on raising funds for a new national headquarters, launching an Endowment Fund for poverty reduction and youth/women empowerment in the North, and presenting new publications.
Dalhatu also addressed what he described as the “unhealthy proliferation” of new Northern groups with aims similar to those of the ACF.
He recalled that the Forum’s founders, in 2000, persuaded several existing groups to dissolve and merge into the ACF. He urged those creating “parallel or splinter groups” to reconsider their actions and rejoin the main body, noting:
“There is enough room in the ACF to accommodate all Northerners.”
Turning to national economic concerns, the ACF Chairman condemned the ongoing crisis at the Dangote Refinery, describing it as an “unbelievable calamity.”
He accused certain unions and “hidden cabals” of acting “unpatriotically” and “on behalf of the enemies of Nigeria,” calling on the federal government to urgently address what he termed an “existential threat.”
The meeting was attended by all members of the Board of Trustees, state chapter chairmen and secretaries, as well as members of the Arewa100% Focus group. The Chairman thanked participants for their sacrifices and commitment to the Forum’s objectives.
