From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, and ordered a forensic audit of the forum’s finances following allegations of malfeasance and breach of due process.
The decision was reached at an emergency NEC meeting held in Kaduna after police barricaded the forum’s Sokoto Road headquarters, forcing members to relocate to an alternative venue.
The blockade disrupted the originally scheduled meeting, but delegates from 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory eventually gathered elsewhere to deliberate.
Prof. Tukur Mohamed Baba, ACF National Publicity Secretary and member of both the National Executive and Working Committees, said the meeting proceeded despite the blockade.
He explained that the police action, reportedly carried out on “orders from the top,” prevented staff and delegates from accessing the original venue, with workers chased out early in the morning. The NEC condemned the disruption but said it had successfully covered its agenda.
The NEC passed a vote of no confidence on Alhaji Dalhatu after the forum’s Ethics and Conduct Committee submitted preliminary findings showing evidence of financial misconduct and non-compliance with ACF constitutional provisions.
Prof. Baba said the BOT chairman was invited to respond to the petition but failed to avail himself of the opportunity, prompting the committee to recommend his suspension.
In addition to the suspension, the NEC directed an immediate forensic audit of all ACF finances, not limited to the endowment fund, to determine whether funds had been properly utilized in line with the forum’s constitution.
The committee also resolved to secure open-ended access to all financial records and to pursue the recovery of any funds found to have been misapplied.
While reaffirming that the action was “preservative, not punitive,” Prof. Baba said the NEC passed a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee under Chairman Mamma Mike Ousmane and on the Secretary General’s performance.
He stressed that any future leadership changes would strictly follow constitutional provisions. The NEC also rejected claims of a leadership crisis, describing the situation as an “attempted misinterpretation and usurpation of power outside the ACF constitution.”
Also speaking, Prof. Nuhu Muhammad Jamu, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Committee of the forum, said the panel acted within time constraints to allow the BOT chairman an opportunity to respond within 48 hours, but received no reply.
According to Prof. Jamu, the committee’s findings revealed violations of the forum’s constitution, particularly in the delineation of authority between the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Council and the National Working Committee.
He cited an instance where the BOT chairman allegedly cancelled a meeting convened by the forum chairman despite lacking constitutional backing, unlike the notice issued by the forum chairman.
The committee also flagged concerns over membership irregularities, stating that some individuals who participated in proceedings were not duly registered members of the forum, thereby undermining the validity of decisions taken.
“More critically, it raised questions over financial management, noting that the BOT chairman had made himself a signatory to the forum’s endowment fund and allegedly directed lower-ranking officers, contrary to the supervisory and advisory role expected of trustees,” Prof. Jamu said.
He added that the handling of the endowment fund, established to promote the forum’s objectives, was troubling, especially with reported movements of funds without proper oversight. Prof. Jamu stressed that the suspension was not intended as punishment but to ensure a level playing field for a proper investigation in line with natural justice and due process.
Consequently, the committee recommended that a forensic audit be conducted on the fund to ascertain possible misapplication and ensure accountability, with recovery of any funds found to have been misused.
Prof. Jamu reaffirmed that the recommendations were aimed at upholding transparency and integrity within the forum as it prepares for its constitutional activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.