by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A Northern socio-cultural organization, ‘Arewa Consultative Forum’ (ACF), has announced plans to curb what it termed as “unauthorized and contradictory statements” by its officials, affirming the authority of its Board of Trustees (BOT) to enforce a binding communication protocol.
The move, according to the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, is aimed at presenting a unified voice for the prominent Northern socio-cultural organization ahead 2027 elections.
In a meeting of the Forum’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday, in Kaduna, Alhaji Dalhatu declared that the BOT has the constitutional obligation and final authority to regulate how officials speak to the press and the public.
“This decision was borne out of recent incidents of responses where senior ACF officials at national and state levels made conflicting public statements, which the leadership believed undermines the Forum’s cohesion.”
According to the chairman, a draft policy document has been prepared by the Secretariat to formalize these new protocols amidst rising political activities for the 2027 general elections.
The ACF Board Chairman also issued a stern reminder to all members and officials to maintain the organization’s “corporate political neutrality.”
While acknowledging that individual members belong to political parties, he stressed that ACF as an institution is non-partisan and will not support one party over another.
The meeting also served as a platform to unveil and highlight the ACF’s upcoming Silver Jubilee in November 2025, the three-day event designed to raise funds for a new National Headquarters, launch an Endowment Fund for poverty reduction and Youth/Women empowerment in the North, and present new books.
Alhaji Dalhatu used the opportunity to address the “unhealthy proliferation” of other groups in Northern Nigeria with its aims similar to the ACF.
He recalled how the Forum’s founders, in 2000, persuaded several existing groups to dissolve and fuse into the ACF; and he urged those creating “parallel or splinter groups” to rethink their actions and rejoin the main body, adding “There is enough room in the ACF to accommodate all Northerners.”
Venturing into national economics, the Chairman condemned the ongoing crises at the Dangote Refinery, describing it as an “unbelievable calamity.”
He labeled the unions and “hidden cabals” involved as “unpatriotic” and “working on behalf of the enemies of Nigeria,” calling on the federal government to act urgently to eliminate this “existential threat.”
The meeting was attended by the entire Board of Trustees members, all state chapter Chairmen and Secretaries, and members of the Arewa100% Focus group, as the Chairman thanked members for their sacrifices and participation.