The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all recruitment exercises being conducted by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), while threatening to invoke its constitutional powers against the agency’s Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, over his persistent refusal to honour legislative invitations.
The committee, led by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, accused Adedeji of repeatedly disregarding the constitutional oversight authority of the National Assembly by ignoring several invitations and failing to provide requested official records.
During a meeting held in Abuja, the lawmakers warned that they would rely on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to compel compliance if the NRS boss continued to disregard the committee’s directives.
The constitutional provisions empower the National Assembly to investigate public institutions, summon officials, demand relevant documents and issue warrants where necessary.
According to the committee, Adedeji was invited through a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directing him to submit a comprehensive nominal roll of the service and appear before lawmakers on July 22.
However, the committee said he failed to honour the invitation.
Lawmakers disclosed that the latest correspondence was one of at least seven invitations sent to the NRS between October 2023 and April 2026, all of which were reportedly acknowledged by the agency but ignored.
The committee explained that the ongoing investigation centres on recruitment exercises and waivers allegedly granted to the NRS by the Federal Character Commission (FCC), despite an earlier directive from the House prohibiting such approvals.
Also absent from Wednesday’s meeting was the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran.
According to the committee, Omidiran informed lawmakers that she could not attend due to official travel and ill health.
The lawmakers, however, criticised her repeated absence, noting that she had failed to honour several previous invitations.
The committee further condemned the FCC for approving recruitment waivers for the NRS, describing the decision as a direct challenge to the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives.
As a result, lawmakers directed the Federal Character Commission to ensure the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities being conducted by the Nigeria Revenue Service until both agencies appear before the committee to explain their actions.
Speaking during the session, Committee Chairman Ahmed Wase warned that no government institution has the right to determine which constitutional directives it would obey.
“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 stressed that the continued refusal of government officials to appear before lawmakers weakens democratic accountability, undermines public confidence and erodes the constitutional principle of checks and balances.
According to him, the committee is prepared to deploy every constitutional mechanism available to enforce compliance and preserve the integrity of legislative oversight.
Sources within the National Assembly also suggested that Adedeji’s refusal to appear before the committee may be connected to allegations surrounding previous recruitment and appointment exercises within the NRS.
The controversy follows an investigative report published by Daily Trust on January 30, 2026, alleging that the appointment of five out of the six Executive Directors of the Nigeria Revenue Service breached Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act.
The law requires that each Executive Director represents a separate geopolitical zone and also prohibits both the Executive Chairman and any Executive Director from originating from the same state.
The report alleged that five of the appointments failed to comply with those statutory provisions.
The appointments are currently being challenged before an Abuja High Court in a suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria.
The group is seeking an order restraining the affected Executive Directors from continuing in office pending the determination of the substantive case.
The President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Revenue Service have all been joined as defendants in the legal action.
