The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a Pan-Northern socio-political organization, has made changes in its leadership structure by removing Chief Gabriel Aduku, a former Minister of State for Health, from the position of national chairman.
Immediately following this decision, Mamman Osman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stepped in as the replacement.
Reportedly, Chief Gabriel Aduku was appointed in May 2023, along with others, after the tenure of Chief Audu Ogbeh expired in March 2023. Initially slated for a three-year term, Aduku’s tenure was cut short.
ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, responded to inquiries by highlighting that the former chairman was never elected but selected, providing a justification for the removal.
He said, “My apologies but no ACF Chairman was ‘elected’ as such. A set of persons were selected and presented but were never inaugurated.
“The list was reviewed by ACF’s Leadership Selection Committee; it’s the final list that was now presented and approved by the joint assembly and inaugurated.
“Whosoever that wasn’t inaugurated today simply didn’t make it in the final list as presented by the Leadership Selection Committee.”
Meanwhile, the ACF on Tuesday, met to endorse the new leadership of the northern body which was approved and inaugurated
A communique released by Muhammad-Baba named Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu as the Board of Trustees Chairman while Osman was named the National Chairman of the ACF.
Others are Deputy BoT Chairman, Senator Fred Orti, Vice-Chairman BoT, and Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule while the Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, retained his position.
In his acceptance speech, the new ACF’s chairman, according to the communique, paid tribute to the founding members of ACF.
The new NEC, he pledged, would “reinvigorate a new ACF that will be different in outlook and impact as it seeks to contribute to the national discourse on issues relevant to the Nigeria Project.”
