The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has described as fake reports of a change in its leadership.
The forum said, “The attention of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been drawn to an announcement of a change in the leadership of the organisation. The news is totally false, and the purported action from which the announcement derived is unconstitutional.”
ACF National Publicity Secretary Prof. Muhammad-Baba, in a statement made available to DAILY POST, said, “Consequently, Mr Mike Mamman Mike Osuman, LLM, SAN, FCIArb, OFR, Chairman of the ACF, has authorised that this disclaimer be issued to disabuse the minds of members of the ACF, the press, and the public in general, but especially the teeming masses of Arewa who have been suffering untold existential socioeconomic hardships.”
He stated that the leadership of the forum had neither authorised, been aware of, nor communicated any purported change, adding that the announcement should be treated as null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.
For the avoidance of doubt, Muhammad-Baba clarified that approval of leaders of the forum is vested in its General Assembly, which has not yet been convened to fill any vacancies.
The statement stated, “Section 8(6) of the ACF Constitution empowers the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Forum to give general advice and direction on matters relating to the aims and objectives. Any other role outside the provision in this Section is unknown to the Constitution of the ACF. Thus, the BOT has no authority to order any leadership change.”
The forum said the power to establish operational committees is vested only in the NEC, under Section 14 of the ACF Constitution, adding that the purported constitution review committee is unconstitutional.
“The stated Leadership Selection Committee is not known to the Constitution and exists at the behest of NEC in the exercise of its powers under item (o) of Section 14 (1). The Leadership Selection Committee is, per se, only a creation of NEC as an ad hoc body for the purpose of vetting and making recommendations to NEC for consideration and transmission to the General Assembly for approval,” the statement explained.
The ACF National Publicity Secretary stated that the last Leadership Selection Committee completed its role in 2023 and has since been dissolved, adding that it is yet to be reconstituted.
The statement said, “NEC is already in the process of reconstituting the Selection Committee. In the event, any action, assignment, function or announcement(s) by person(s) claiming to exercise such putative functional power is, ipso facto, irregular, unconstitutional and will certainly remain unrecognised.”
It further explained that, by the provisions of Sections 13 and 14 of the ACF Constitution, only the National Publicity Secretary or his/her deputies are empowered to publicise and project the image of the forum, adding that statements from unauthorised persons should be disregarded.
It emphasised, “Mallam Murtala Aliyu remains in office as secretary general until a successor emerges in accordance with due process.”
The statement noted that it was regrettable that the forum had to issue clarification that may suggest a leadership crisis, stressing that no such crisis exists. It alleged awareness of clandestine efforts to destabilise the organisation.
The chairman assured members and supporters that the current leadership would protect the integrity of the forum and resist any attempt to derail its objectives.
The statement further implored members to “remain calm and law-abiding and await further communication from the leadership.”
