Moves to resolve the lingering supremacy battle within the ranks of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have yet to produce results after a closed-door meeting by members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Executive Committee (NEC) and some first-class emirs from the northern region ended in what some sources described as “deadlock.”

Daily Trust learnt that the meeting, which took place on Tuesday at the private residence of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, in Maitama, Abuja, lasted two hours between 5pm and 7pm without any tangible resolutions reached.

The traditional rulers at the meeting included the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, and the Aku Uka of Wukari, Dr. Manu Ishaku Adda Ali.

The Sultan was reportedly not at the meeting as he was attending to other matters of national importance somewhere.

Although the details of the meeting, which was convened at the instance of the Sultan, were sketchy, sources privy to the happenings in the ACF confided in Daily Trust that the gathering focused on resolving the worsening division in the leadership of the northern socio-political group.

One of the sources said both the Etsu Nupe and the Aku Uka expressed serious reservations over the inability of the BoT and NEC to arrive at a neutral ground and work together towards finding solution to the security and economic challenges afflicting the North.

“In fact, one of the emirs alluded to the fact that the North is now a laughing stock…That we cannot speak with one voice at a critical moment of our existence,” he said.

Our correspondents report that the meeting on Tuesday was a continuation of series of engagements with contending parties (NEC and BoT) towards resolving the protracted leadership crisis occasioned by alleged financial impropriety.

Daily Trust learnt that the Sultan, with the support of the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage Muhammad and other northern traditional rulers have been having talks with the ACF leaders since the beginning of 2026 when the BoT and NEC engaged in blame game.

On one hand, the Chairman of the BoT, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, with the support of some members, had asked the Secretary General of the organisation, Malam Murtala Aliyu, to leave.

But Murtala had kicked saying his tenure will expire in December 2026.

He reportedly has the support of some members, including the Chairman of the NEC, Barrister Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN.

Besides the leadership tussle, the lodgement of about N3.9 billion donated to the ACP in a new account at JAIZ Bank, rather than in any of the main accounts of the organisation in First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Unity Bank, has caused disaffection among members.

During its 25th anniversary celebration held in November 2025, some notable northern leaders and businessmen donated the amount, in addition to pledges that are yet to be redeemed.

Also, there was nearly N700 million donated by some northern leaders in order to organise the 25th anniversary. Details of how the funds were utilised are being questioned.

Established in the year 2000, the ACF, a socio-cultural organisation which draws its membership from the 19 northern states, seeks to protect the interests of Northern Nigeria.

The recent role of the traditional rulers in finding a lasting solution reportedly followed the intervention of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who had earlier formed a committee of eminent northern leaders to resolve the crisis.

It was learnt that Shettima’s intervention also followed a call by former Heads of State who are the patrons of the ACF.

Those who attended the Tuesday meeting with the Etsu Nupe and the Aku Uka included Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Malam Gambo Hamza, Professor Tijjani Bande, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Mr Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, and Professor Muhammad Tukur, among others.

But the secretary general, Aliyu, was not at the meeting.

When contacted last night, he confirmed that he did not attend the meeting.

“The police had invited me for an interaction around the time of the meeting. This is the reason I didn’t go to the Sultan’s house,” he said.

Another source said he would not describe the Tuesday meeting as “stalemate” because it continued yesterday (Wednesday).

The source, who said the root of the crisis is ego, added that he was optimistic the problem will be resolved.

“Posterity will not judge us positively if all the people that are involve in resolving the crisis failed to achieve the stated goal. I assure you that we will succeed,” he said.

ACF secretariat shut

The police had on Monday shut down the ACF secretariat in Kaduna, Daily Trust reports.

However, there is conflicting report on what actually transpired.

A source from the BoT, led by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, alleged that it was the NEC, under Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN), that first shut the secretariat.

He said this was ahead of their planned meeting today (Thursday).

“We have issued a notice of meeting when we discovered that the secretariat had been shut in order to sabotage the meeting,” the source said.

But a source from the Osuman faction alleged that the Bashir Dalhatu led officials forced their way into offices and replaced the locks, including those of the mosque within the premises.

Meanwhile, staff members of the forum have been directed by the management to stay away from the secretariat for one week, starting from Monday, as the crisis festers.

A source at the secretariat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said the decision followed the invitation of three ACF staff members, including the treasurer, by the police on November 5.

The source said the officials were taken to Abuja for questioning, made to write statements and later released on self-recognizance.

“For your information, the police came to the office on November 5 and took away the staff members, including the forum’s treasurer, to Abuja for questioning. They were later released after writing their statements.

“It was in view of this that the management decided that all staff at the secretariat should stay away from work for one week. We are expected to resume next week,” he said.

During a visit to the secretariat along Sokoto Road on Tuesday, our correspondent sighted some policemen at the entrance as the gate remained locked.

Bukar Zarma, a senior member of the forum aligned with the Dalhatu faction, confirmed to one of our correspondents that the locks were changed, but defended the action, saying it was necessary to enable the BoT to access the premises and hold its scheduled meeting.

Zarma alleged that the secretary-general under the Osuman faction, Murtala Aliyu had locked the secretariat and directed workers to stay away to prevent the trustees from holding their meeting.

“We went to the secretariat at about 11am on Monday. The Board of Trustees had issued a notice of a meeting scheduled to take place sometime this week. However, in reaction to the notice, the secretary-general ordered the closure of the secretariat to prevent the Board of Trustees from holding its meeting,” he said.

Zarma alleged that the secretary-general not only locked the premises but also sent the workers away and secured virtually every part of the building, including the toilets.

He further claimed that the staff were instructed not to respond to calls from members of the BoT, while attempts to reach the secretary-general were unsuccessful.

According to him, the trustees reported the matter to the police and requested security assistance to gain access to the building.

He maintained that the ACF secretariat and other assets of the organisation were under the custody of the BoT and not the secretary-general.

“How can somebody who is, so to speak, a tenant lock out the landlord from the property? The secretariat does not belong to the secretary-general; it belongs to the organisation and its members,” he said.

Zarma said police personnel accompanied the officials to the premises and provided security while the locks were changed.

He insisted that the secretary-general had no authority to prevent the trustees from accessing the secretariat or holding their meeting.

But Murtala Aliyu countered, saying they only asked the staff of the secretariat to remain at home because of series of harassment they were facing.

Credible sources told the Daily Trust that the during their planned meeting, the BoT had also planned to grant audience to the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, hence he complication of the crisis especially in respect to the closure of the secretariat.

When asked if the meeting with Atiku was true, Bukar Zarma said yes, but added that it was the former vice president that reached out to them.

No end in sight

Daily Trust reports that in May 2026, the NEC announced the suspension of Dalhatu over allegations of financial and administrative misconduct.

The decision followed an emergency NEC meeting in Kaduna, where the committee reportedly considered a petition alleging financial and other malfeasance against the BoT chairman.

The NEC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Tukur Muhammad Baba, also announced a vote of no confidence in Dalhatu and referred the allegations to the forum’s Ethics, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Committee for further investigation.

It subsequently ordered a forensic audit of the organisation’s finances, including its endowment fund.

However, the BoT rejected the suspension, describing it as illegal, unconstitutional and an attempt to destabilise the organisation.

In a statement signed by several prominent members, including former governors Abdullahi Adamu, Ibrahim Shekarau, Sule Lamido, Saminu Turaki and Umar Al-Makura, the trustees argued that the NEC lacked the constitutional authority to suspend or remove the chairman of the board.

The BoT also insisted that there was no leadership crisis in the organisation, accusing some members of pursuing personal interests.

Both factions have since maintained their positions, with the latest dispute over access to the secretariat further deepening the division within the northern socio-political organisation.

Road to the secretariat

Osuman petitions Gov Uba Sani over alleged secretariat invasion

The NEC chairman had petitioned Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, over the alleged invasion of the ACF national secretariat by some individuals.

Osuman, in a petition dated November 9, 2026, accused Munir Mustapha and Bukar Zarma of forcibly entering the ACF headquarters and removing valuables.

The petition, a copy of which was also sent to the Inspector-General of Police, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the state, alleged that the individuals broke into offices, changed the locks and removed property without the knowledge or consent of the forum’s leadership.

“An invasion of this nature not only violates the sanctity of our corporate headquarters but is also a direct assault on the dignity of the entire Northern Region,” he said.

The chairman said the national secretariat represented the collective heritage of Northern Nigeria, adding that its protection was essential to preserving the dignity and integrity of the organisation.

He urged the governor to ensure that the rule of law prevailed and that the forum was protected against actions capable of undermining its stability.

Kaduna govt denies involvement in sealing of secretariat

The Kaduna State Government has denied allegations that it was involved in the sealing of the national secretariat of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna.

The Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the state government had no hand in the development, describing the ACF as a socio-cultural organisation established to promote unity among people in Northern Nigeria.

Maiyaki said it was therefore unreasonable to accuse the government of sealing the secretariat of an organisation whose objective aligned with its commitment to peace and unity.

“We have no hand in the sealing of their secretariat because ACF is a socio-cultural group aimed at uniting the North. So, how can we seal off their secretariat? The Kaduna State Government is not an enforcer of the law,” he said.

He added that the government welcomed organisations working towards uniting the people, stressing that it remained open to groups with different opinions, provided their activities promoted unity.

According to him, Governor Sani is committed to peace, unity, democracy and social cohesion, adding that allegations linking the government to the crisis within the ACF were irresponsible.

Maiyaki maintained that although members of the forum might belong to different political camps, the organisation is expected to remain non-partisan.

He said the government had no involvement in the internal affairs of the forum.

‘Crisis a threat to northern unity, image’

The leadership crisis rocking the ACF could weaken the organisation’s influence and undermine northern interests at a critical political period, a professor of political science at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Kamilu Sani Fage, has warned.

He said the prolonged dispute among rival factions claiming legitimacy within the northern socio-political group was already damaging the image and effectiveness of the organisation.

According to him, the ACF remains one of the most influential interest groups in Northern Nigeria and plays a significant role in policy advocacy and the articulation of regional concerns.

“ACF is one of the foremost interest groups in Northern Nigeria and it has been very effective. The leadership crisis will, in one way or another, affect the organisation.

“First, it will dent the image of the organisation. Secondly, it will cripple it in terms of the influence and impact it makes, not only in the North but in Nigerian politics generally,” he said.

Fage noted that internal divisions could weaken the forum’s capacity to champion northern interests at a time when political stakeholders are positioning ahead of general elections.

“The more the organisation is divided, the more it is weakened in terms of its role as one of the policy advocates and champions of northern interests in Nigeria.

“This is unfortunate, especially at a time when there should be a united front to promote the interests of Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole. If the organisation is fighting itself, its attention will be diverted from issue-based advocacy to internal disputes,” he added.

On insinuation that political actors may be fuelling the crisis to gain advantage in the region, the don said there was no concrete evidence that external actors initiated the dispute, although they might be taking advantage of it.

He explained that the crisis appeared to have originated from disagreements over the interpretation of provisions in the ACF constitution, particularly regarding the tenure of office holders.

“As far as I can recall, the dispute started over whether the tenure of some leaders had expired or not. One side interpreted it based on the day officers assumed office, while the other focused on the date they were sworn in.

“From there, it developed into a tug of war between the Board of Trustees and the Secretary-General’s camp. The issue was essentially about constitutional interpretation and who possesses the legal authority.

“My view is that any political undertone may have come in later to worsen the situation rather than being the original cause. The crisis itself is fundamentally about interpretation of the constitution, powers and responsibilities within the organisation,” he said.

A political analyst, Prof. Abubakar Kari of the University of Abuja, also warned that the leadership crisis could pose a threat to the association’s continued relevance and further damage the image of Northern Nigeria.

Kari said the crisis was unfortunate, particularly at a time when the region was grappling with insecurity, poverty and other challenges requiring strong leadership and collective action.

He described the dispute as an “intra-elite struggle for power and accompanying benefits of power, rather than a disagreement rooted in ethnicity, religion, state or sectarian differences.”

He said the ACF had, over the years, emerged as a leading voice for Northern Nigeria, defending the region’s interests, promoting its values and serving as a counterbalance to other regional socio-cultural organisations across the country.

He added that the crisis had already undermined the organisation’s reputation.

“Whatever happens to them, negatively or positively, rubs off on the image of the region they purport to represent, that is Northern Nigeria,” he said.

Kari said it was unfortunate that prominent individuals, who had occupied important positions in government and enjoyed public respect, were involved in a feud over leadership and financial interests.

He said the development was also contrary to the values of discipline, decorum, unity and solidarity traditionally associated with Northern Nigeria.

“The least that is expected of the ACF is to continue to champion, sensitise the government and insist that the government should concretely take steps towards addressing these problems, but not resort to the kind of feud that we are now witnessing,” he said.

The analyst, however, clarified that the crisis should not be interpreted as a threat to the unity of Northern Nigeria, arguing that it was essentially a struggle among influential individuals within the association.

While acknowledging the ACF’s past interventions at critical moments in Nigeria’s history, he warned that continued infighting could render it irrelevant.

“Nothing destroys the image or even the very existence of an organisation like huge and strong groups over power and money,” he said.

Kari urged the contending parties to retrace their steps, resolve their differences and restore confidence in the association, warning that failure to do so could spell doom for the forum. (Daily Trust)