A leadership dispute has broken out in the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) between its Board of Trustees and some top officials.
Trouble started when the BoT said the tenure of some top officials, including the Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, has expired, but Aliyu insisted that he has more time to the end of tenure.
But the Chairman of the BOT, Bashir Dalhatu, on Wednesday, denied that there was a leadership crisis after recent developments in the forum over the outcome of efforts to enforce constitutional provisions on tenure limits and leadership succession.
Dalhatu said the ACF Constitution outlines a single six-year tenure for BOT members, while members of the National Executive Council are entitled to a three-year term, renewable once.
He said the BOT was informed earlier in the year of possible breaches of these provisions through a petition by “Concerned Members,” including former Secretary-General, Anthony Sani.
The BoT chairman said the matter was discussed at an April 23, 2026 meeting, where it was resolved that the tenure of officials who assumed office in March 2020 had lapsed on March 10, 2026.
He said those affected are Senator F. Orti, Deputy Chairman of the BOT; Ambassador Ibrahim Sule, Vice Chairman of the BOT; Senator Ibrahim Ida, Deputy Chairman of the National Executive Council; and Murtala Aliyu, Secretary-General.
“Their positions have, from March 10, 2026, become vacant in line with the constitution,” Dalhatu said, adding that although Aliyu was granted time until May 15 to conclude handover processes, he had declined to step aside, adding that “in a baffling twist, Malam Murtala Aliyu, now in his seventh year as Secretary-General, has rejected the resolution and continues to hold on to office.”
According to the BOT chairman, efforts were made to peacefully settle the matter, including a meeting of elders convened by Haliru Akilu and hosted by Mahmud Ahmed on April 21, 2026.
He said Aliyu convened an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee for May 6, allegedly to overturn the BOT’s resolution, adding that there was no financial impropriety within the forum, as he said all funds under the ACF Endowment Fund were intact and managed transparently.
Dalhatu said oversight committees headed by Hassan Adamu and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed D. Abubakar, had been set up to ensure accountability through periodic public reports.
Reacting, Aliyu maintained that his term had nor elapsed based on due process and documented reappointment.
He said “I was appointed Secretary in March 2020, inaugurated in August 2020, re-elected in July 2023 and inaugurated in December 2023. I have documents to support all these,” adding that his re-election in 2023 effectively renewed his mandate, countering claims that his tenure had expired.
