The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that it will not bow to outside pressure as the internal dispute within its leadership enters its second week. This firm stance was taken during a meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC).
Earlier, the suspended Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, claimed that the terms of four officials, including Secretary-General Murtala Aliyu, ended on March 10, 2026, and called for their resignations. However, the NEC, through spokesperson Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, dismissed the BoT’s move as unlawful.
The crisis escalated when police sealed the ACF’s national secretariat in Kaduna ahead of a scheduled NEC meeting, citing the need to prevent disorder between the warring factions. In response, the NEC convened at an undisclosed location and suspended Dalhatu over alleged financial impropriety and constitutional violations, a decision the BoT rejected.
Over the weekend, BoT members accused Aliyu of fueling the rift and demanded he stop acting as Secretary-General, insisting his tenure had expired. Countering these claims on Monday, Prof. Muhammad-Baba issued a statement outlining the NEC’s resolutions from its March 6 meeting. The NEC warned that any person appointed to a committee or task by the BoT would be acting without legal backing, rendering such actions invalid.
The NEC condemned the police siege on the secretariat as an assault on the constitutional rights of groups in Northern Nigeria and beyond. It called for the immediate removal of police officers from the premises and disciplinary measures against those responsible. The committee also praised its members for remaining calm and law-abiding despite provocation.
In its statement, the NEC said, “The Chairman commended NEC members for their steadfastness and refusal to be manipulated or taken for granted. He urged continued unity to strengthen the collective voice of Northerners in national affairs.” The NEC approved the formation of a new Leadership Selection Committee and instructed the Chairman to implement it. It also passed a vote of confidence in the National Working Committee, urging them to adhere strictly to the ACF constitution.
The body affirmed that the ACF remains united and undeterred, calling on all Nigerians and Northerners to uphold the rule of law and reject impunity and tyranny.