The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended its national chairman, Mamman Osuman, for issuing an unauthorised statement.
Bashir Dalhatu, chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the ACF, and Murtala Aliyu, the secretary, announced Osuman’s suspension in a statement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Osuman criticised northern leaders for failing to address the challenges facing the region.
He questioned the roles of the region’s governors and lawmakers in alleviating the economic hardship caused by the policies of President Bola Tinubu. He also reportedly declared the forum’s support for a northern candidate in the 2027 general election.
The ACF stated that Osuman did not consult other leaders and members of the forum before making his statement.
“The attention of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been drawn to widely reported remarks attributed to Mr Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, Chairman of the ACF National Executive Committee (NEC), during a meeting of the NEC held on Wednesday, November 2024, at ACF Headquarters in Kaduna,” the statement read.
“Specifically, Mr Osuman was quoted as saying that the North would back a northern candidate for the presidency in 2027.
“These remarks were made by the NEC Chairman without consultation or discussion with other leaders and members of the ACF and therefore represent Mr Osuman’s personal opinion only.
“The ACF rejects Mr Mamman Mike Osuman’s statements in their entirety.
“Consequently, the leadership of the ACF’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and its NEC has decided to suspend Mr Mamman Mike Osuman with immediate effect. A committee has been established to conduct further investigations.”
