THE crisis rocking the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) deepened on Tuesday after operatives of the Nigeria Police sealed off the headquarters of the socio-cultural organisation in Kaduna ahead of a planned National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
News Point Nigeria reports that the ACF secretariat, located along Sokoto Road in Kaduna metropolis, was barricaded, with police vehicles stationed at the entrance as of 7pm, effectively preventing access to the premises.
Members of the NEC, led by Barrister Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, were scheduled to hold an emergency meeting at the headquarters on Wednesday.
In a statement personally signed on Tuesday night and titled, “ACF Head Office Under Siege,” Osuman accused the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, of acting outside the constitutional limits of his office as provided in the ACF Constitution.
Osuman further alleged that he and other National Working Committee (NWC) officials had been locked inside the ACF headquarters, describing the situation as “a sacrilege.”
However, in a counter statement titled, “Re-Notice of Emergency ACF-NEC Meeting; Please Stay Away,” Bashir Dalhatu, a former minister and Wazirin Dutse, declared the planned meeting illegal.
According to him, the Secretary-General of the organisation, Malam Murtala Aliyu, who is also a former minister and Matawallen Gombe, lacked the authority to convene the meeting because his tenure had allegedly expired.
When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Command denied sealing the office, insisting that officers were only deployed to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, said the command acted after receiving intelligence reports indicating that two rival factions intended to hold separate meetings at the same venue.
“We didn’t seal off the office. What happened was that we received two letters and intelligence that two factions want to hold a meeting, and in Kaduna State, we are enjoying a peaceful atmosphere and so, we will not want a breakdown of law and order in the state,” he said.
News Point Nigeria reports that the lingering crisis within the ACF centres on leadership disputes and disagreements over the powers of the NEC and the Board of Trustees.
There are also allegations surrounding the management of over N3.9 billion reportedly donated to the ACF during an endowment fund held last year, with some members raising concerns over transparency.
Some sources within and outside the Forum expressed concern over the worsening situation, lamenting that northern leaders who should be uniting to address regional challenges ahead of future elections were instead consumed by internal conflicts.
One source said, “It is inconceivable that these eminent northern leaders are fighting while the region burns amid insecurity and a lack of clear political direction.”
The crisis had reportedly been simmering for months but escalated over the weekend after General Haliru Akilu (rtd), chairman of the Forum’s leadership selection committee, announced that the tenure of some BoT and NEC members had expired.
According to Akilu, those affected include the Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu; Deputy Chairman of the BoT, Senator Fred Orti from Benue State; Vice Chairman of the BoT, Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule from Yobe State; and Deputy Chairman of the NEC and Wazirin Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida.
Amid the escalating tension, there were reports suggesting that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, had intervened in a bid to resolve the crisis.
However, the Secretary of the Sultanate Council, Alhaji Sa’idu Maccido, denied knowledge of any such intervention.
Similarly, a senior councillor of the council, Dr Muhammad Jabbi Kilgori, said he was unaware of the Sultan playing any mediatory role, although he noted that the monarch, who is currently outside the country, may have reached out to some of the actors involved from abroad.
A member of the ACF NEC, who was inside the headquarters on Tuesday night, also confirmed the police presence at the secretariat.
“We are still inside the office as the police have barricaded the entrance. Their vehicles are still outside,” he said.
In his statement, Osuman maintained that he possessed the constitutional authority to convene meetings of both the National Working Committee and the NEC.
“This authority is expressly conferred on me by Section 13(1)(a) and (b) of the ACF Constitution,” he stated.
Quoting the constitution, he said:
“Section 13(1)(a): The Chairman shall have the following functions: (a) To convene all meetings of the National Executive Council and the Working Committee.
“Section 13(1)(b): To preside over and direct all meetings of the National Executive Council and the Working Committee.”
Osuman said he had lawfully issued notices for the NWC meeting, but that the directive was allegedly countermanded by Bashir Dalhatu.
“In response, I advised members, using the same platform, to disregard this unconstitutional interference and attend the scheduled meeting.
“I am pleased to note that members, in overwhelming numbers, responded to this call and attended the National Working Committee meeting held today, Tuesday, 5th May 2026,” he said.
He further alleged that Dalhatu had escalated the crisis by threatening members planning to attend the NEC meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
“This development raises grave constitutional concerns. The right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” Osuman stated.
“It is equally concerning that the office of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees is being personalised in a manner inconsistent with the collective spirit and constitutional framework of the ACF. Such actions suggest the pursuit of personal objectives, to which we, in the overriding interest of our region, our people, and the nation, must firmly object,” he alleged.
Osuman also called on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the matter.
“Any perceived inaction may give rise to avoidable tensions and unfortunate consequences that could undermine public confidence and national stability,” he warned.
Reacting separately, the National Executive Committee of the ACF condemned the police action, describing it as unwarranted and lacking legal backing.
In a statement, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, said the Forum was not under any legal restriction and was unaware of any court order limiting its operations.
“There is absolutely no basis for sealing the office unless, of course, there are some unstated motives,” he said.