ACF Suspends BoT Chairman Over Alleged Financial Misconduct, Orders Forensic Audit

Our Reporter 

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended its Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Bashir M. Dalhatu, over allegations of financial misconduct and breaches of the organisation’s constitution.

The decision was reached on Wednesday during an emergency meeting of the Forum’s National Executive Committee (NEC) held in Kaduna, amid escalating internal tensions within the group.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, disclosed that delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory eventually convened after the meeting was relocated from the Forum’s national secretariat to an alternative venue. 

The relocation, he explained, was necessitated by restrictions linked to the ongoing internal disputes, including disagreements over access to the secretariat.

Muhammad-Baba said the NEC strongly condemned the alleged blockade of the secretariat, describing it as undue interference in the internal affairs and associative rights of the organisation.

He further clarified that the situation should not be misconstrued as a leadership crisis, noting that the issues at stake revolve around constitutional procedures and governance processes within the Forum.

According to him, the NEC’s action followed the presentation of a report by an Ethics and Conduct Committee set up to investigate a petition bordering on financial administration and internal governance. 

He said the committee’s preliminary findings revealed serious concerns, particularly regarding due process and financial management, warranting further investigation.

“Based on the recommendations, the NEC passed a vote of no confidence in Dalhatu and approved his immediate suspension as BoT chairman, pending the outcome of further investigations,” Muhammad-Baba stated.

He added that the committee also ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of all ACF financial records, including its Endowment Fund, with a mandate to recover any funds found to have been improperly handled.

In a related resolution, the NEC reaffirmed its confidence in the National Working Committee led by Mike Mamman Osuman, SAN, and maintained the status of the Secretary-General pending any constitutional review.

The Forum also condemned the alleged police restriction of access to its headquarters, describing the action as unacceptable interference in the affairs of a socio-cultural organisation.

The developments highlight growing internal strains within the ACF as it navigates governance and accountability issues at the highest levels of its leadership.