By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced the suspension of its Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Bashir M. Dalhatu, over allegations of financial misconduct and breaches of constitutional procedures.The decision was reached during an emergency meeting of the Forum’s National Executive Council (NEC) held in Kaduna on Wednesday, amid growing internal tensions, including disputes over access to the organisation’s national secretariat.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory participated in the session, which was relocated from the ACF headquarters due to reported access restrictions linked to the ongoing internal dispute.
Muhammad-Baba said the NEC condemned what it described as interference in the Forum’s internal affairs and rejected suggestions that the situation constituted a leadership crisis, stressing that the matters relate to governance and constitutional processes.
He noted that an Ethics and Conduct Committee had submitted a preliminary report on a petition concerning financial administration, raising issues that require further investigation.Following deliberations, the NEC passed a vote of no confidence in Dalhatu and approved his immediate suspension pending the outcome of further investigations.
The NEC also ordered a forensic audit of the Forum’s financial records, including its Endowment Fund, to verify compliance and accountability. It further reaffirmed confidence in the National Working Committee and maintained the position of the Secretary-General pending constitutional review. The Forum also criticised alleged restrictions on access to its headquarters.
