The Board of Trustees of the Arewa Traders Association of Nigeria (ATAN) has dissolved its national executives and appointed Alhaji Adamu Hassan as interim president.
The board said the decision was taken due to the leadership crisis that rocked the union in recent months.
In a statement in Abuja over the weekend, a BoT member of the union said its action had the backing of its constitution which paved the way for the interim president to steer the affairs of the union and conduct elections for new executives within two years.
Misbahu Umar Maizare told journalists that they convened the meeting to deal with some pressing gaps in the leadership of the union.
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He said, “One of our excos from Borno State died over the year and another one left North Central to the East, hence the leadership vacuum was created. Again, we would set up a caretaker committee that would replace appointed excos who will run the union for quite a long time.
“So, the BoT appointed the caretaker committee and mandated it to organise elections from state to national levels in two years.”
In his acceptance speech, the interim President, Alhaji Adamu, promised to lead an exemplary leadership while calling for unity from the members.
City & Crime reports that the association has presence in the 19 Northern states and the FCT.