The body, which comprises aides of senators and members of the House of Representatives, was thrown into confusion on Sunday when Darlington Udeh, a member of the forum, led a faction to the venue where Samuel was to be inaugurated as the head of NASSLAF.
Udeh argued that he was elected chairman of the forum, and would not allow Samuel be installed as chairman.
Supporting Udeh, Yusuf Bamidele, spokesman of NASSLAF, said Samuel could not lead the body because he did not succeed in securing a ticket at his geo-political zone level.
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“Our elections and leadership are driven by zonal arrangements. The last administration of Mahmood Muhammed, who is now a member of the House of Representatives, was from the north-central. By so doing, the north-central has had its shot and cannot come again.
“We have north-west, north-east, south-south, south-east and south-west, so we cannot allow a particular person or zone to shortchange us,” Bamidele stated in a statement.
It would be recalled that in March, Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikashuwa, appointed the younger Melaye as chairman of a seven-member caretaker committee to run the affairs of the group for three months before organising a proper election.