REASONS WHY PROF. ABUBAKAR OLAREWAJU SULAIMAN, MUST BE PLACED ON IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE AND DEMOCRATIC STUDIES (NILDS) UNTIL CONCLUSION OF THE ON-GOING LAWSUIT AGAINST HIM AT THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA, ABUJA.

REASONS WHY PROF. ABUBAKAR OLAREWAJU SULAIMAN, MUST BE PLACED ON IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE AND DEMOCRATIC STUDIES (NILDS) UNTIL CONCLUSION OF THE ON-GOING LAWSUIT AGAINST HIM AT THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA, ABUJA.

 *SUMMARY OF FACTS* 

Sometime in the months of March through May, 2026, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in both well documented video and writings declaring his intention and physically completing an expression of interest form as a candidate for the position of Governor of Kwara State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The video is available online at https://www.facebook.com/ahmad.bolakale/videos/professor-abubakar-olanrewaju-sulaiman-at-the-apc-gubernatorial-screening-yester/1305155081747800/.

A credible Nigerian national newspaper reported that Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman was one of the contestants. It was reported that: "...Prof. Abubakar Suleiman scored 1,722 votes, while Prof. Wale Suleiman polled 2,434 votes..."during the May 22nd 2026 governorship primary election of the APC in Kwara State. 

DETAILS OF PROVISIONS OF RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF BOTH THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION AND OTHER LAWS VIOLATED BY PROF. ABUBAKAR OLAREWAJU SULAIMAN ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. Sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(g) and 182(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) require public officers seeking elective office to resign, withdraw or retire from their employment not later than thirty (30) days before the date of election. So Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman ought to have tendered his letter of resignation to the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute-NILDS at least by 1st April 2026 before he even purchased the expression of interest form;

2. On 27th March 2026, a lawsuit was filed at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, lawsuit number NICN/ABJ/103/2026. The lawsuit was filed against Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Director-General of the said Institute-NILDS. The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute-NILDS was named as one of the Defendants. The Speaker of the House of Representatives in his capacity as Alternate Chairman of the Governing Council of the same Institute-NILDS is named as a Defendant in the same lawsuit. The lawsuit is seeking amongst other other things an Order of the Honourable Court to compel both the Chairman and Alternate Chairman respectively to move the Governing Council to declare that Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman is no longer the Director-General of the Institute-NILDS because of his involvement/participation in the Kwara State APC Governorship primaries election. An additional Order of the Honourable Court to compel both the Chairman and Alternate Chairman to move the Governing Council to appoint an Acting Director-General for the said Institute-NILDS;

3. Since the date of filing of the said lawsuit by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman failed in his responsibility under Section 3(3)(g) of the National Institute for Legislative Studies Act, 2011 as the Secretary of the Governing Council of the said Institute-ALDRAP to communicate this lawsuit to the Governing Council through either the Chairman or the Alternate Chairman;

4. Also, Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman failed to perform his functions as Secretary of the Governing Council of the Institute-NILDS to both notify and indemnify both the Chairman and Alternate Chairman (and other members of the Governing Council) from lawsuits arising from his own actions, this responsibility is implied under Sections 20, 21 and 23 of the National Institute for Legislative Studies Act, 2011;

5. As evidence of further violation of Sections 3 (1) and (2) of the National Institute for Legislative Studies Act, 2011, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman (without the prior written permission of Senate President and the Speaker) usurped the role of both Chairman, Alternate Chairman of the entire members of the Governing Council of the Institute-NILDS by unilaterally engaging the services of both the Legal Adviser of the Institute (Dr. Shuaibu Danwanka) and an external lawyer (Hanafi, SAN) to represent the Institute-NILDS at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. Copies of the legal documents files by both lawyers are available as annexures to this write-up.; and

6. In accordance with Section 4(1) and (2) of the National Institute for Legislative Studies Act, 2011, the rule is that the Chairman in consultation with the Alternate Chairman of the  Governing Council have the exclusive power and prerogative to suspend, terminate the tenure of any Director-General of the Institute-NILDS who is deemed to have committed grevious infractions such as committed in the present instance by Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman;

7. Finally, since the matter is now sub-judice, (subject-matter of ongoing litigation), it is advisable for both the Chairman and Alternate Chairman to place Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman on INTERDICTION (suspension from office) until after the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division has delivered a final judgment on the matter;

8. In the interim, to avoid any vacuum in the leadership of at the Institute-NILDS, it is necessary to appoint an Acting Director-General to superintend over the day-to-day administration of the said Institute-NILDS.