Reps Suspend NRS Recruitment, Threaten Sanctions Over Zacch Adedeji’s Repeated Absence

• House of Representatives orders immediate suspension of all Nigeria Revenue Service recruitment nationwide pending the conclusion of an ongoing legislative investigation into alleged violations of federal character principles and recruitment procedures.

• Lawmakers threaten to invoke constitutional powers against NRS Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, accusing him of repeatedly ignoring official invitations

• Federal Character Commission comes under intense scrutiny for allegedly granting recruitment waivers to the NRS despite an earlier directive from the House, with its chairman also criticised for repeatedly failing to honour legislative invitations.

• Fresh legal and political pressure mounts on the NRS as controversial executive appointments remain the subject of a suit before an Abuja High Court over alleged violations of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act.

July 23, () — The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all recruitment exercises by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).

The order escalated a confrontation with the agency’s Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent disregard for the constitutional oversight powers of the National Assembly.

The committee also threatened to invoke its constitutional powers to compel Adedeji’s appearance and sanction him should he continue to ignore repeated legislative summons and requests for official documents.

The development marks the latest twist in an increasingly tense standoff between the House of Representatives and the leadership of the newly established revenue agency, amid growing concerns over alleged irregular recruitment exercises and controversial appointments that have already sparked litigation before an Abuja High Court.

Committee Orders Immediate Suspension of Recruitment

At its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the committee, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, accused the NRS leadership of demonstrating “continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly” by repeatedly failing to honour invitations extended by lawmakers.

The committee disclosed that a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directed the Executive Chairman of the NRS to submit a comprehensive and updated nominal roll of the agency and appear before the committee on July 22.

However, Adedeji failed to attend the meeting and did not provide the requested documents.

According to the lawmakers, the latest invitation was only one in a series of official communications sent to the agency between October 2023 and April 2026.

The committee noted that no fewer than seven previous letters had been acknowledged by the NRS but were allegedly ignored, describing the agency’s conduct as unacceptable and inconsistent with democratic accountability.

The committee warned that it would no longer tolerate what it described as deliberate attempts by public officials to frustrate legislative oversight.

It stated that if the NRS chairman continues to disregard invitations, the House would invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which empower the National Assembly to investigate government agencies, summon witnesses, compel the production of official records, and issue warrants where necessary.

Lawmakers stressed that the constitutional powers of the legislature are binding and not subject to the discretion of public office holders.

Federal Character Commission Also Under Fire

The committee also turned its attention to the Federal Character Commission (FCC), accusing the commission of undermining the authority of the House by approving recruitment waivers for the NRS despite an earlier directive suspending such approvals.

The lawmakers described the action as a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities vested in the National Assembly.

Also absent from the meeting was the Chairman of the FCC, Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran. She reportedly informed the committee that she could not attend because of official travel and illness.

However, lawmakers rejected the explanation, pointing out that she had also failed to honour several previous invitations.

Following the meeting, the committee directed the FCC to ensure the immediate suspension of every ongoing recruitment exercise being conducted by the NRS until both agencies appear before lawmakers and provide satisfactory explanations regarding the recruitment process and the waivers granted.

‘No Agency Is Above The Constitution’ — Wase

Addressing the meeting, Committee Chairman Ahmed Idris Wase declared that the National Assembly would not allow any government institution to undermine its constitutional authority.

“The National Assembly is the voice of the Nigerian people. Its constitutional oversight powers are not symbolic.

“They are binding instruments of accountability. No agency, commission, or public official is above the Constitution or beyond the reach of parliamentary oversight,” Wase said.

He warned that persistent refusal by public officials to honour invitations from the legislature weakens democratic institutions, erodes public confidence in government, and threatens the constitutional system of checks and balances.

Wase assured that the committee would deploy every constitutional and legislative instrument available to enforce compliance and preserve the integrity of parliamentary oversight.

Background: Recruitment and Appointments Under Investigation

The confrontation comes against the backdrop of mounting allegations of irregularities surrounding recruitment exercises and appointments within the Nigeria Revenue Service.

Sources within the National Assembly indicated that Adedeji’s repeated refusal to appear before the committee may be connected to concerns over previous recruitment exercises and senior appointments currently attracting public scrutiny.

Those concerns gained momentum after an investigative report published by Daily Trust on January 30, 2026, alleged that the appointment of five out of the six Executive Directors of the NRS violated Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act.

The law requires each Executive Director to represent a different geopolitical zone and expressly prohibits the Executive Chairman and any Executive Director from originating from the same state.

According to the report, five of the appointments allegedly breached those statutory provisions, raising questions over compliance with the federal character principle and the agency’s enabling law.

The appointments have since become the subject of litigation before an Abuja High Court.

The Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria, in a suit filed before the court, are seeking an order restraining the affected Executive Directors from performing the functions of their offices pending the determination of the substantive case.

President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Nigeria Revenue Service are listed as defendants in the suit.