With one Hajj exercise and less than two years in office, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman has suffered from a similar fate, like his immediate predecessor, Mallam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, as the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. (NAHCON). For some time now, many indicators have proved to the stakeholders and general public that the centre did not hold in Nigeria’s Hajj House.
Even before the lone Hajj he superintended, the tenure of Prof. Usman as the NAHCON boss has not been free from internal wrangling, many of which were dragged and extended to the public domain via the traditional, online news platforms, as well as on the social media.
Therefore, it was not surprising to those who follow closely activities in the NAHCON to hear late on Monday, February 9, 2026 that the Commission’s Head has resigned his appointment. Shockingly, Usman’s exit was without an official statement, neither from NAHCON, nor from his employer – the Presidency!
After over 12 hours of the news, Prof. Usman publicly confirmed his exit, explaining that the decision was taken after prayer, consultation with his family and in the interest of the agency he had led since August 2024. In the press release he personally signed on February 10, Usman confirmed that he resigned the previous day and he has submitted his exit letter to President Bola Tinubu.
Usman’s resignation has many similarities to his immediate predecessor, Mallam Arabi, whose tenure lasted between October 2023 and August 2024, in both acting and substantive capacities. After the 2024 Hajj exercise, Arabi was slammed with the N90 billion alleged financial misappropriation. He was then quizzed and investigated by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). Arabi, the sixth NAHCON Chairman, could not survive the hefty allegation levelled against him, hence his resignation.
In less than two years, Prof. Usman has since been embroiled in internal crises, bordering on alleged financial misappropriation, inept performance, and lack of competence, in particular by members of the NAHCON Board.
The Eagle Online findings indicated that Usman-led Board (members) were dissatisfied with his performance rating, leadership style, and poor showing in administrative demands and delivery. His alleged incompetence has resulted in the poor management of Nigeria’s Hajj operations.
Not only this, his alleged lapses have also been attributed to the slash in the number of pilgrims slot allocated to Nigeria.
The number of seat dropped from 95,000, for the 2025 Hajj exercise, to 50,000 for the upcoming 2026 Hajj.
Apart from these, Usman has been under the surveillance of anti-graft agencies. The intelligence reports on him have prompted EFCC to commence financial investigation on him. This dimension seemed to be the peak of his alleged misgivings.
Consequently, the Board members of the Commission have since resolved collectively to petition the Presidency over his discouraging leadership. The petition, The Eagle Online learnt, has received authority’s attention.
Tinubu has forwarded the petitions to the office of Vice President Kashim Shetima who oversees the running of NAHCON.
Less than 24 hours after the news broke and before Prof. Usman’s confirmation of his resignation surfaced, critical stakeholders have responded with diverse views and reactions. Some called for restraints while others urged the public to await the outcome of the government’s investigation on the alleged misconduct against the ex-Chairman.
Notably among the early stakeholders who have been very visible and critical is the Independent Hajj Reporter (IHR), a Civil Society Organisation that specialises in Hajj and Umrah reporting. In its commentary on Tuesday, IHR, which cautioned the Presidency on replacement, said: “We urge the Federal Government to appoint, in an acting capacity, the most competent individual and relatively free from allegation of corruption from within the existing operational team to lead the commission for this year’s Hajj. Such a decision will guarantee continuity and prevent avoidable disruptions, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman with proven experience and a credible track record in Hajj administration who can later reconfigure and strengthen the system.
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“We also align with the government’s decision to accept the resignation of the former chairman, especially in view of the numerous allegations against him and the deep division that existed between his office and members of the NAHCON board. The breakdown in working relations made effective collaboration impossible and, if allowed to continue, would have negatively affected Nigerian pilgrims.”
The question now is: after the petition was submitted, Did Prof Usman smell rat? Was he pressured to throw in the towel? Was he overwhelmed by the challenge of him versus his Board members? To what extent are the allegations of nepotism, lack of charisma, sleazy conduct against him can fly? Better still, could Usman’s latest saga be considered a case of slip on NAHCON’s banana peel? Only time will tell.
Still, it’s very clear and expected that the President will soon make an official statement on the saga, make his initial position known, as well as make a replacement for the embattled ex-NAHCON’s helmsman.
. Balogun, the Deputy Editor of The Eagle Online, can be reached via tjaysuccess10@gmail.com.
