Amid preparation for airlifting of intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj to Saudi Arabia, President Bola Tinubu may ask the National Hajj Pilgrim of Nigeria (NAHCON) Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, to step aside for investigation on the commission’s operations after NAHCON board members passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman and requested the termination of his appointment over allegations of financial misconducts and other contraventions described as major hurdles against a hitch-free pilgrimage to the holy land.
The over 10 board members of the commission, who were said to have written to the President, through the Vice President, Kashim Shetimma’s office, argued that the continuing stay of the NAHCON chairman in office could further expose the country to operational and diplomatic risks.
They added that this could further jeopardise the country’s preparation, coordination, and successful conduct of the upcoming Hajj operations, as many intending pilgrims planning for the religious rites may be hindered by the current system of administration at the commission.
It was learnt that the board members, after passing a vote of no confidence in Usman, informed the Presidency that they could no longer continue working with him, considering the impact his actions would have on their careers and the country’s global image.
The Spokesperson for the NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara, when contacted by The Guild on Wednesday over the crisis rocking the commission, said that the issues were on leadership, which were above her office.
She said: “We are aware of the reports circulating, but we in NAHCON remain focused on our statutory responsibility to ensure a smooth and successful Hajj. Leadership matters are administrative and not within my purview”.
As learnt, the board members in their letter to the Presidency pledged their commitment to ensuring that NAHCON operates under strict adherence to transparency, accountability and dedication to Nigerian pilgrims’ welfare.
The vote of no confidence passed by the board members followed a series of petitions received from hajj operators and other stakeholders over the leadership style adopted by Usman since assuming office as the chairman of the agency in 2024.
The Guild gathered that the issues raised by stakeholders also formed part of the claims made by the board members against Usman before the Presidency, barely 15 months after assuming office as successor to Jalal Arabi, who resigned amid an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations bordering on financial misconduct.
Sources at the NAHCON headquarters disclosed that the board members’ major allegations against Usman were financial indiscipline, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act, creating diplomatic strain between the country and Saudi Arabia, as well as poor leadership skills.
They noted that the board members argued that Usman lacked transparency in his conduct as he repeatedly expended funds and completed projects without the board’s approval as well as approved contracts with funds that were far beyond the recommended budgetary limits.
The NAHCON chairman, who, according to the board members, is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was alleged to have continuously violated the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act after assuming office, awarding Hajj-related contracts to firms which were a clear infringement on due process within the commission.
While arguing that the Chairman’s action could sink NAHCON in legal and financial trouble, the sources at the commission narrated that the board alleged that contracts were signed by the chairman without a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the BPP.
It was gathered that what further angered the board members to vote against Usman was when his leadership style had begun to allegedly cause diplomatic strain between the country and the Saudi Arabian government as related to compliance, credibility and operational coordination during oversight of Hajj-related activities.
They alleged that the strain resulted in the reduction of the country’s pilgrims’ quota from 95,000 in 2025 to 66, 150 in 2026 Hajj operations.
The multiple sources from the agency added that the claim by the NAHCON boss that the reduction was due to the unutilized slots during 2025 was not true, saying the narration was allegedly adopted to cover up for his lapses in maintaining diplomatic ties.
One of the sources from the NAHCON disclosed that the board decision has been handed to the Presidency for prompt implementation as stipulated by law.
While the board awaits the President’s decision on the allegations made against Usman, a senior aide to the President at the Villa, whose name cannot be revealed since he was not assigned to speak on the issue, told our correspondent that the NAHCON chairman may not be spared considering the content of the allegations raised and the President’s body language to public officeholders that were discovered to have mismanaged taxpayers funds.
He added that the documents that may be handed over to the President before Friday for consideration and directives contain allegations that no leader would ever overlook, considering the relationship between Nigeria and the Saudi government.
A female aide in the Office of the Vice President, who was not authorised to comment, argued that Usman could be directed to step aside pending the conclusion of the EFCC’s investigation into allegations levelled against the NAHCON boss.
She stressed that the only condition that could aid the NAHCON chairman to return after EFCC completes its investigation would be that the anti-graft agency set him free from all allegations the board members and stakeholders made.
A male senior appointee to the President, meanwhile, stated that the style of the Tinubu-led Federal Government would be to ask Usman to resign to avoid embarrassment.
He added that the President’s body language was that any public officeholder linked to corruption would be to leave for proper investigations.
“I believe that you remember how Usman’s predecessor, Jalal Arabi, who was detained by the EFCC over alleged financial misappropriation, was relieved of his duties. What can save him is to be freed by the anti-graft agencies; aside from that, the Don should consider himself out of office immediately”.
During the tenure of Arabi, The Guild investigations had earlier revealed that the EFCC discovered over N10 billion belonging to the commission, which had been transferred to different companies’ accounts within the country and abroad during the tenure of the former Hajj commission boss.
Aside from that, Arabi and other high-ranking officials at the commission were said to have returned SR314,098 (Saudi Riyal) to the anti-graft agency after they were quizzed over their involvement in the misappropriation and fraud that had crippled the affairs of NAHCON.
It would be recalled that the series of frauds linked to Arabi and other officials prompted President Tinubu to remove the ex-NAHCON boss and replace him with Usman.
“Professor Usman is a renowned scholar with qualifications from two Islamic centres of excellence — the University of Madinah and Peshawar University, Pakistan.
“He is also well-grounded in Hajj operations, having served as the Chairman of the Kano State Pilgrims Board, and successfully superintended the operations of the largest quota of state pilgrims in the country.
