NAHCON commissioners urge president Tinubu to sack chairman over no-confidence vote

All eleven permanent and non-permanent commissioners of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) have formally called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, following a vote of no confidence passed against him.

The commissioners warned that allowing Professor Pakistan to remain in office for even one more day could jeopardize preparations for the 2026 Hajj exercise, potentially leading to a total collapse of the operation.

According to TheLeader, the demand was conveyed in a jointly signed letter dated January 19, 2026, and addressed directly to President Tinubu.

In the letter obtained by this newspaper, the commissioners unanimously said, “After our careful evaluation, we hereby unanimously resolve that the Chairman (Pakistan) should not remain in office for even one additional day. Allowing him to continue in office gravely jeopardises the preparation, coordination and successful conduct of the upcoming Hajj operations, and further exposes Nigeria to operational and diplomatic risks.”

In the three-page letter, the NAHCON commissioners accused Mr Pakistan of financial indiscipline, violation of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act, corruption-related irregularities creating diplomatic strain with Saudi Arabia, and breakdown of team work and internal governance due to poor leadership.

The letter, titled: “Vote of no confidence in the Chairman od the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman,” was signed by all the NAHCON board members that comprises of three permanent commissioners, six non-permanent commissioners representing zones, and two non-permanent commissioners representing JNI and NSCIA.

The signatories include the three permanent commissioners: Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal (Planning, Research, Statistics, Information & Library Services ), Prince Anofi Elegushi (Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing), and Prince Aliu Abdulrazaq (Policy, Personnel, Management & Finance).

The six other non-permanent commissioners representing the six geographical zones, and the two other non-permanent commissioners representing Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

They said despite their “repeated efforts at corrective engagements,” Pakistan stay in office bas resulted into “persistent leadership failures that have compromised the credibility, stability, and operational effectiveness and efficiency of the Commission.”

At least two NAHCON commissioners have confirmed the veracity of the no-confidence letter to this newspaper on Tuesday. “We have all resolved to save the system by formally writing to President Tinubu to sack Professor Pakistan before he jeopardizes the planning of the 2026 Hajj.

The mess is too infectious to ignore by Hajj stakeholders in Nigeria and in Saudi Arabia,” one of the commissioners who declined being named told this newspaper on Tuesday.

Under financial indiscipline, the commissioners said, “We have observed consistent patterns of financial decision-making that lack transparency and fall short of the standards set by the Commission’s established public financial regulations. The Chairman has repeatedly expended funds without the Board’s approval and executed contracts far beyond the approved budgetary limits.

These actions constitute grave breaches of financial governance and are further compounded by the fact that the Chairman is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

On the corruption-related Irregularities creating diplomatic strain with Saudi Arabia, they said, “There are serious allegations of corruption linked to oversight of Hajj-related activities. These irregularities have created avoidable tension between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly in matters of compliance, credibility and operational coordination.“

This newspaper has obtained a detailed financial statement of the commission under Mr Pakistan, where he allegedly conducted extra-budgetary expenditure, which constitutes gross misconduct.

For instance, Pakistan had spent $5,770,150 on airfare for the 3,437 NAHCON officials for the 2025 Hajj instead of the $1,700,000 approved for him by the Presidency.

The document also showed that he spent $3,759,803 on Masha’ir package for the officials even though only $1,276,120 was approved for the purpose by the federal government.

Further analysis of the financial records have shown that Mr Pakistan had expended $855,400 on Makkah hotels for the Hajj officials instead of the $337,500 approved for him.

This newspaper reports that Pakistan was interrogated on October 7, 2025 by the EFCC over alleged fraud running into billions of naira. Some of the allegations against him include the alleged squandering of N15 billion on Masha’ir extra bed space, N1.6 billion on NAHCON staff spouses, and N8 billion on Makkah contingency bed spaces during 2025 Hajj.

Others allegations are the extra-budgetary spending of over 300 per cent of his approved budget; N25 billion expended on officials, staff, and board members; N1.4 billion as allowances of committees; and the mismanagement of Madinah bed spaces from 11,000 to 18,000 for 41,000 pilgrims.

Mr Pakistan’s performance has been woeful leading to various problems that marred the 2025 Hajj operation, which forced the Saudi Hajj ministry to establish a special committee to monitor the Nigerian Hajj operation.

Some of the reported challenges, this newspaper learned, include the mismanagement of the Saudi NUSUK digital platform, payment for 14,000 unregistered pilgrims for Masha’ir services leading to the loss of N23 billion, absence of clinics in Madinah and delay in Makkah, failure to pay Saudi accommodation providers and caterers in time, and mismanagement of Madinah bed spaces.

Others include losing traditional Tent A in Mina for the first time in decades, withholding of Hajj airlines funds, stakeholder officials protest in Makkah over BTA cuts, unfavorable reports on 2025 Hajj by the ICPC, EFCC, DSS, NFIU, ONSA, NIA, DMI, DIA, OAGF, and several diplomatic complaints on the entire operation, as well as the investigation of NAHCON chairman by Saudi Nazaha, and Ri’āsat Al-Istikhbārāt Al-‘Āmah, among others.

Sources at the EFCC said Mr Pakistan was found wanting, and an interim report recommending disciplinary actions that include removal from office, prosecution and recovery was sent to the Presidency. However, some aides in the President’s Office have been working round the clock to stop the President from acting on the EFCC report.

This newspaper reliably gathered that President Tinubu has not received the 2025 Hajj as at yesterday Tuesday eight months after the pilgrimage. Insiders said the Vice President’s Office was unable to process and forward the report to the President due to “some grievous errors, financial discrepancies and inconsistencies.”

Mr Pakistan is also allegedly behind the sponsorship of campaign of calumny Vice President Kashim Shetima for ensuring that the right thing must be done. Professor Pakistan allegedly funded and directed social media operatives, popularly called “sojojin baka”, to attack VP Kashim Shettima and his aides online and in paid radio programmes

Before the latest vote of no confidence by the entire NAHCON board, almost all other Hajj stakeholders have written against Mr Pakistan. They include non-permanent commissioners, NAHCON staff, state pilgrims boards, airlines, private tour operators, among others. For instance, tour operators and state pilgrims boards have written petitions against Mr Pakistan many times.

A newspaper has recently did an infographics, chronicling the timeline of over 70 major scandals of Professor Pakistan n the last 15 months.

Another issue fueling distrust in the commission is Mr Pakistan’s placement of Level-9 media officer above directors, as well as placing a special assistant far above permanent commissioners in his office. This is apart from allowing outsiders to be writing official press statements on behalf of the commission.