Nigeria's House of Representatives has launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct levelled against Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies. As reported by Channels Television, the probe centres on claims that the head of the National Assembly's legislative think tank took part in partisan political activity while still holding his public office.
The investigation followed a motion of urgent public importance moved on the floor of the House by a lawmaker who, alongside several colleagues, sounded the alarm over what they described as an urgent need to preserve the political neutrality of public institutions. The sponsors argued that allowing the matter to pass unexamined could weaken discipline within the public service and erode confidence in bodies expected to remain above partisan interests.
At the heart of the allegation is the claim that Professor Sulaiman participated in the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Kwara State while remaining the serving Director-General of the institute. Lawmakers pointed to publicly available records indicating that he had moved well beyond a passive interest and had instead become directly involved in the partisan contest for the party's ticket.
According to the account presented in the House, the Director-General purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms, submitted duly completed documents, and went through the party's screening exercise before taking part in the primary itself. Reports indicated that he secured well over a thousand votes in the contest, underlining the extent of his engagement in the political process while in office.
The lawmakers anchored their concern on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which require public officers who seek elective positions to resign, withdraw or retire from public service within a stipulated period before an election. By their reading, a sitting Director-General of a federal institution actively contesting a party primary sat uncomfortably against that constitutional requirement and the expectation of neutrality attached to such offices.
Records cited in the chamber show that, a day before the Kwara primary was held, Professor Sulaiman announced his withdrawal from the race, saying he had decided to step aside in the interest of peace, unity and the progress of the state. Despite that late exit, the sponsors of the motion maintained that questions remained over his having taken part in the political process at all while serving as head of a public institution.
Having weighed the arguments, the House resolved to investigate the matter before taking any decision on the appropriate course of action. The development reflects a broader debate in Nigeria over where the line should be drawn between the civic rights of public officers and the duty of state institutions to remain insulated from partisan politics, a tension that lawmakers said the inquiry would now seek to clarify.