Crisis is rocking the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, a Federal Government agency under the National Assembly, following the Director General of the institution, Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman’s participation in the recent political primaries without resigning his appointment.
It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu ordered public office holders intending to contest the 2027 election to resign on or before March 31, 2026, in compliance with relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
NILDS DG, Suleiman, was among the aspirants that contested the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State. He was reported to have scored 1,722 votes in the primary.
However, he is still holding on to his position, leading to crisis in the institute. Although it was gathered that the DG was queried over the issue, no action has been taken even as the Governing Council of the institute has been urged to suspend him and appoint a replacement in acting capacity.
Following the development, Suleiman has been dragged before an Abuja Federal High Court alongside the Senate President, who serves as chairman of NILDS Governing Council, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, the alternate chairman.
In the suit filed over the matter by M. Attah Esq and J. W Amuga, Esq, on behalf of the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, the court was asked to determine whether Suleiman did not violate the Electoral Act by failing to resign before contesting the primary.
The court was also asked to determine whether the failure of the Governing Council to appoint an acting DG was not illegal and unconstitutional.
Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include a declaration that Suleiman ought to resign his appointment, on or before March 31, 2026, after declaring his intention to contest the election. The court was also asked to declare that his failure to resign violated the Electoral Act, 2026.
The plaintiff equally asked the court to declare that the failure of the Senate President and Speaker to appoint an acting DG is unlawful and amounts to breach of statutory responsibilities.
In the same vein, the court was asked to compel the Senate President and Speaker to appoint an acting DG for NILDS, pending the appointment of a substantive DG.
Other reliefs sought by the plaintiff is an order directing Suleiman to vacate office immediately, and an order of perpetual injunction restraining him from parading as NILDS DG.
The plaintiffs had in March 2026 written the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to appoint an acting DG for the institute in anticipation of Suleiman’s “expected resignation” after he indicated interest in the Kwara governorship election.
They said the move is necessary in order to avoid a leadership vacuum in the organization.
They also called for a forensic audit of the institute’s financial and administrative activities from 2019 to 2026.
“Such an exercise, if undertaken, may examine among other matters: Compliance with statutory tax obligations and remittances, adherence to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act and financial regulations, compliance with extant public service financial management rules, observance of the Federal Character Principle as provided under Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, general administrative compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and institutional guidelines.
“We respectfully submit that such an exercise represents a standard institutional governance safeguard and should not be misconstrued as punitive, but rather as a necessary accountability mechanism consistent with best practices in public institutional transitions,” the letter stated.
