NEC says it will not succumb to external manipulation amid ACF crisis

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) says the forum will not submit to external manipulation as its leadership crisis enters its seventh day.

The forum’s suspended Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, announced that the tenure of four officials, including Secretary‑General Murtala Aliyu, had expired on 10 March 2026, and urged them to step down.

The ACF National Executive Committee, through its spokesperson Prof. T. A. Muhammad‑Baba, rejected the BoT’s decision, describing the leadership change as illegal.

Ahead of the ACF NEC meeting last Wednesday, police sealed off the forum’s national secretariat on Sokoto Road, Kaduna, saying the action was intended to prevent a breakdown of law and order between the two factions within the organisation.

The NEC said it met at an undisclosed location on Wednesday and suspended BoT chairman Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu over alleged financial misconduct and constitutional breaches; the BoT members rejected the suspension.

The embattled Secretary‑General Murtala Aliyu was, on Sunday, accused by BoT members of causing the crisis and was urged to stop presenting himself as Secretary‑General, with the claim that his tenure had expired.

Responding to the BoT on Monday, ACF National Publicity Secretary Prof. T. A. Muhammad‑Baba released a statement detailing the outcome of the NEC meeting held on 6 March 2026.

The NEC warned that any members who accept appointments or assignments from the BoT or its chairman would be acting illegally, and that such actions would be “null, void and of no effect” and would not be recognised.

The statement noted the unprecedented police siege and sealing of ACF’s head office, and unanimously condemned the action as a direct and egregious assault on the constitutional rights of groups and individuals in Northern Nigeria and elsewhere in the country.

It added that the NEC demanded the immediate and unconditional reversal of the siege, the withdrawal of the NPF agents, and the identification of those responsible for the illegal action, stressing the need for disciplinary measures and commending the resilience of its members for refusing to be provoked into illegal actions despite intimidation by the NPF agents.

The statement further explained, “NEC Chairman commended NEC members for their commitment and refusal to be taken for granted or submit to external manipulation. He appealed for more of such, as this will be critical in ensuring the solidification of the collective voice of Northern people as a group that must be reckoned with in all Nigerian affairs.”

Consequently, the NEC approved the reconstitution of a new Leadership Selection Committee and directed the Chairman to implement it, warning that any individuals who accept appointments or assignments from the BoT or its chairman would be acting futilely, illegally, and their actions would be null and void.

It passed a vote of confidence in the NWC, urging members to remain steadfast and committed to upholding the provisions of the ACF constitution.

The NEC resolved that the ACF remains unbroken, undeterred and more united than ever, calling on all well‑meaning Nigerians and Northerners to stand united, uphold the rule of law, and reject impunity, abuse of privilege and tyranny.