By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has demanded documentary evidence to support allegations that the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Suleiman Abubakar, participated in a governorship primary election while still serving in office.
The directive came on Thursday during an investigative hearing by the House Committee on Legislative Library, Research and Documentation in Abuja.
This is even as lawmakers intensify the scrutiny of public officers’ involvement in partisan politics. .
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Yusuf Galambi, said the panel could not proceed with its investigation because the petitioners had failed to provide sufficient and verifiable evidence to support their claims.
The investigation follows a motion adopted by the House seeking to uphold constitutional and administrative provisions governing the participation of public officers in electoral activities.
Galambi directed the petitioners to submit documents such as party records, nomination forms and expressions of interest allegedly linked to the NILDS Director-General.
“The committee is unable to proceed in the absence of credible and verifiable evidence to substantiate the allegations before us,” he said.
He explained that the committee would consider inviting Prof. Abubakar for further engagement after receiving the required documents.
The lawmaker, however, stressed that the investigation would continue regardless of whether the NILDS Director-General appears before the panel, noting that a formal invitation had already been issued to him.
Also speaking, committee member Rep. Chinedu Obika asked the petitioners whether they possessed video evidence showing the alleged participation of the NILDS boss in the governorship primary election.
Responding on behalf of the petitioners, Williams Amuga of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) said the allegations were based on reports and publications circulated on social media.
Following the exchange, the committee suspended the hearing and directed the petitioners to provide additional evidence before further proceedings on the matter.
The development underscores the House’s focus on ensuring compliance with laws regulating the conduct of public officers and safeguarding the integrity of democratic and electoral processes.
