ACF removes ex-minister, Aduku, as chairman

The pan-northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has removed a former Minister of State for Health under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Gabriel Aduku, as its National Chairman.

Aduku was swiftly replaced by Mamman Osman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The PUNCH reports that the former minister was in May 2023 appointed alongside others after the tenure of Chief Audu Ogbeh as chairman of the forum ended in March 2023.

Aduku, an architect, was to serve for three years but the tenure was truncated.

However, the ACF’s National Publicity, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, in response to inquiries, said the former chairman was never elected but selected, justifying the removal.

“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 leadership selection committee; it’s the final list that was now presented, approved by the joint assembly and inaugurated.

“Whosoever that wasn’t inaugurated today simply didn’t make it to the final list as presented by the leadership selection committee,”  Mohammed-Baba said.

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 Mamman Osman was named the National Chairman of the ACF.

Others are Deputy BoT Chairman, Senator Fred Orti; Vice Chairman BoT, Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule; while the Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, retained his position.

In his acceptance speech, the new ACF chairman, according to the communique, paid tribute to the founding members of the 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.

“The meeting also received a goodwill message from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr George Akume, who also urged the ACF to provide the needed leadership for ushering a new northern Nigeria in its bid to overcome the multi-faceted social and economic problems, as well as and unity.”