A disturbing pattern is emerging in Nigeria’s political and bureaucratic landscape. It is a recurring script, played out with different characters but a familiar plot: a public officer, often one attempting to enforce accountability or disrupt entrenched systems of graft, finds themselves at the centre of a coordinated campaign for their removal. The demand is singular: “Sack him!”
The reasons, however, are often nebulous, rooted in selfish, political, or parochial interests rather than genuine failure or misconduct.This is not a theoretical concern. We have seen this playbook in action.
Recall the intense, politically-charged campaign to oust Isa Ali Pantami as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. Accusations from decades past were weaponized, creating a media frenzy demanding his dismissal. Yet, amidst the noise, many argued the heat stemmed from his reforms in the telecoms sector, which threatened powerful interests benefiting from the old order.
The Buhari’s presidency withstood the pressure.The same script was deployed still during the Buhari administration regarding the Service Chiefs. For years, a relentless chorus from various quarters some genuine in their concern for security, others arguably politically motivated, called for their sack.
The narrative was one of failure, but the subtext often involved territorial battles, contract displacements, and resistance to change within the security architecture.
Now, the spotlight is on the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Prof Saleh. The Commission’s management has passed a vote of no confidence, urging the President to remove him.
Yet, tellingly, a significant wave of public reaction, especially on social media, paints a different picture. It suggests an upright chairman who has dared to turn off the tap of “annual bazaar” and wanton largesse during Hajj operations. His “sin,” according to this narrative, is denying certain staff and their collaborators their usual annual unjustified bounty.
The management’s move, therefore, appears to many as a preemptive strike; a bid to blackmail and edge out a reformer before he deepens his cleanup.This phenomenon finds echoes in other true-life cases: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN Governor:
His fate is perhaps the most iconic example. When he blew the whistle on the monumental missing $20 billion in oil revenues under the NNPC, he was not hailed as a hero by the power bloc. Instead, he was suspended from his position as Central Bank Governor on charges of “financial recklessness.
” His real offence was not mismanagement, but challenging a deeply corrupt status quo.· Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Tenures:
As Finance Minister, her steadfastness in trying to instill fiscal discipline and transparency repeatedly made her a target. From allegations of 9“missing funds” that were later debunked to political pressure from within the system, she faced constant campaigns aimed at undermining her authority.
The attacks often coincided with her efforts to block frivolous spending or expose corruption.The Anatomy of a Smear Campaign:
1. The Trigger: An officer blocks a lucrative, corrupt pipeline or insists on due process.
2. The Coalition of the Affected: A group is formed disgruntled staff, contractors, political patrons, or rival factions all united by a shared loss of illicit access.
3. Weaponising Narratives: Allegations are crafted. They may be of incompetence, “high-handedness,” financial misconduct, or even religious/ethnic bias. The goal is not to prove a case, but to create enough smoke to suggest a fire.
4. Media Amplification: A section of the media, sometimes compromised, is used to amplify the allegations, creating a public perception of crisis and failure around the officer.
5. The Ultimate Demand: The crescendo is a public call for the President or appointing authority to sack the officer “in the national interest.
”The Cost to Nigeria:
This trend is cancerous. It discourages integrity and incentivizes conformity with corruption. Why would a public servant risk everything to do the right thing, if the reward is a career-ending smear campaign? It perpetuates a system where only those who play along survive, while reformers are hounded out. It also creates instability, as substantive policy work is derailed by political survival battles.
The Way Forward:
The presidency must develop a keen eye for discerning genuine performance failure from politically-motivated attacks. Due process must be paramount. Allegations must be investigated transparently, not used as a pretext for knee-jerk dismissals. The public and media must also be more circumspect, questioning the source and timing of campaigns for removal.
The case of the NAHCON Chairman is a test. Will we allow the “crusade” of those whose bazaar has been disrupted to succeed? Or will we recognize the old playbook at work and demand that officers be judged on verifiable facts and tangible results, not the volume of noise made by those whose illicit interests are threatened?
Nigeria’s journey to good governance will remain stalled as long as the reward for integrity is a coordinated campaign of character assassination. Protecting the few who dare to be different is not just about fairness to the individual; it is a fundamental necessity for the nation’s progress.
*Muhammad Iskeel Abdullahi Broadcast Journalist Development Advocate Convener Journalists For Development*
