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The Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum accuses Secretary General Murtala Aliyu of defying constitutional term limits and attempting to destabilize the organization.
The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has accused its Secretary General, Mallam Murtala Aliyu, of undermining the forum and violating its constitutional provisions on leadership tenure.
In a statement signed by Bashir M. Dalhatu, Chairman of the ACF BOT, the board alleged that Aliyu had refused to vacate office after exceeding the six-year single tenure limit stipulated in the ACF Constitution.
BOT Cites Expired Tenures
The statement explained that the ACF Constitution provides for a six-year single tenure for BOT leaders and a three-year renewable tenure for National Executive Council (NEC) officials.
Dalhatu said the BOT received a petition from “Concerned Members”, including Anthony N.Z. Sani, a former Secretary General, warning that the continued stay of some officials beyond their tenure could breach the constitution.
At a BOT meeting held on April 23, 2026, the board resolved that the tenures of officials who assumed office in March 2020 had expired on March 10, 2026.
Those affected include:
- Senator F. Orti (Benue) – Deputy Chair, BOT
- Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule (Yobe) – Vice Chair, BOT
- Senator Ibrahim Ida, Wazirin Katsina – Deputy Chair, NEC
- Mallam Murtala Aliyu (Muttawallen Gombe) – Secretary General
Dalhatu said the positions became vacant from March 10, 2026, and that Aliyu was allowed, at his request, to prepare handover notes and conclude departure formalities by May 15, 2026.
BOT Accuses Aliyu Of Defiance
The BOT chairman described Aliyu’s refusal to step down as a “baffling twist of events”, noting that he is the only official among those affected who has rejected the board’s decision.
Dalhatu said that despite peace efforts led by General Haliru Akilu (rtd) and Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, Aliyu went ahead to summon an emergency NEC meeting scheduled for May 6, 2026, allegedly to reverse the BOT’s decision.
BOT Denies Crisis, Clarifies Financial Integrity
The BOT dismissed reports of a leadership crisis within the ACF, insisting that the issue revolves around one individual’s refusal to relinquish power.
Dalhatu also refuted allegations of financial misconduct, assuring that all funds in the ACF Endowment Fund are securely deposited in the bank and beyond the reach of the Secretariat, NEC, or BOT.
He said the Endowment Fund Advisory Committee, chaired by Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakilin Adamawa), and the Management Committee, led by retired IGP Alhaji MD Abubakar, were appointed to ensure transparency and accountability.