ABUJA – The House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Library, Research and Documentation has ordered petitioners accusing the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Suleiman Abubakar, of participating in a governorship primary election without resigning his appointment to substantiate their claims with concrete evidence.
The committee’s chairman, Hon. Yusuf Galambi, issued the directive during an investigative hearing in Abuja, stating that the lawmakers could not proceed with the matter due to a lack of documentary evidence from the petitioners.
The investigation was initiated following a motion adopted by the House, which underscored the necessity of upholding constitutional and administrative guidelines governing the conduct of public officers and their involvement in electoral processes.
The committee had been tasked with probing allegations that the NILDS boss participated in a political party’s primary election while still holding his official position, an act reportedly in breach of civil service regulations.
To move the probe forward, Hon. Galambi urged the petitioners to produce verified documents, including records from the concerned political party, as well as copies of nomination and expression of interest forms allegedly linked to Prof. Abubakar.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, a member of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), Williams Amuga, admitted that their allegations were largely based on reports circulating on social media platforms.
Following the admission, the committee suspended the hearing and directed the petitioners to furnish the panel with substantial evidence before the investigation can continue.
