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CSO official alleges coordinated smear campaign against BPP leadership
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A public policy and governance advocate, Okezie Emmanuel, has alleged that the leadership of the Bureau
of Public Procurement (BPP) is being targeted by a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by vested interests seeking to undermine ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s procurement system.
Emmanuel, who is of the Baobab Centre for Public Integrity, made the allegation in a statement issued, following the circulation of a document presented as a “petition” by a group identifying itself as the Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability (COCTA).
The document, according to him, purports to lend support to an earlier submission by one Musa Aliyu, Esq.
According to Emmanuel, preliminary inquiries and reviews indicated that the document was not motivated by genuine concern for transparency or accountability, but represented what he described as a crude and poorly coordinated attempt to destabilise the BPP under its current leadership.
He alleged that credible intelligence and internal records pointed to identifiable individuals within and around the Bureau who had, in recent months, attempted to compromise procurement processes by pressuring officials to issue Certificates of No Objection without adherence to statutory requirements as stipulated under the Public Procurement Act.
“These attempts were firmly resisted by the leadership of the Bureau in line with the law,” Emmanuel said, adding that the failure to subvert due process allegedly triggered the resort to petitions and media-driven pressure.
According to the Baobab Centre official, those allegedly behind the campaign had since regrouped and were now working in concert with former staff members and external collaborators who were unsuccessful in previous bids for the Bureau’s top leadership position.
He said such individuals had remained aggrieved by what he described as a transparent and merit-based process that produced the current Director-General of the BPP.
“Their objective is not reform, but revenge; not accountability, but the capture of a system they failed to control,” Emmanuel stated.
He further questioned the substance of the circulating petition, noting that it contained no verifiable evidence, no transactional trail, no documentary proof, and no independent corroboration of its allegations.
Instead, he said, the document relied on sensational claims designed to provoke suspicion and manufacture public outrage.
Emmanuel warned that such tactics were familiar within public institutions, often aimed at generating controversy, forcing suspensions, and creating institutional vacuums through which undue influence could be reintroduced.
He cautioned the Nigerian public, the media, and law-enforcement agencies against being misled by what he described as a well-worn strategy intended to derail institutional reforms.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the BPP has demonstrated that it has nothing to hide and nothing to fear from lawful scrutiny,” Emmanuel said.
“However, no public institution should be expected to submit to blackmail, media trials, or petitions sponsored by disgruntled insiders and their external hirelings masquerading as civil society actors,” he stated.
The Baobab Centre for Public Integrity also called on the media and relevant authorities to treat the circulating document with caution and to disregard it as a sponsored distraction aimed at undermining reforms currently underway at the Bureau.
Emmanuel further disclosed that, in the interest of national security and institutional integrity, a comprehensive report was being compiled detailing the activities, identities, and operational links of individuals allegedly involved in attempts to improperly influence procurement outcomes and those participating in the smear campaign.
According to him, the report would be forwarded to the appropriate security and investigative agencies for further inquiry.
He said this would include individuals who sought to influence procurement decisions unlawfully, those who facilitated or encouraged such attempts, and those now acting as paid fronts under the guise of civil society advocacy.
He reaffirmed the need for the Bureau of Public Procurement to remain steadfast in its mandate to uphold transparency, due process, and the strict application of the Public Procurement Act.
“No amount of intimidation, sponsored petitions, or coordinated noise should derail this commitment,” Emmanuel said.
Yaya Bauchi Tongo, a member of House of Representatives representing Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State is dead.
Rep Tongo died in Abuja on Friday following a brief illness, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Akintude Rotimi said in a statement quoting the Gombe State Caucus of the House of Representatives.
While paying tribute to the late lawmaker, Rotimi said his death marked the end of a distinguished life devoted to public service and the advancement of his constituents, Gombe State, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Rep. Tongo was a dedicated public servant, seasoned grassroots politician, and committed legislator whose life was marked by unwavering service to his people and the nation,” Rotimi said.
The deceased lawmaker served as Chairman of Funakaye Local Government Area, Special Adviser to the Government of Gombe State, and Member of the Gombe State House of Assembly before his election into House of Representatives.
He was Chairman of the Nigeria–United Arab Emirates Parliamentary Friendship Group in the House of Representatives.
“A respected voice within the Parliament and a passionate advocate for the welfare and development of his constituents, Hon. Tongo brought wisdom, experience, and a deep understanding of governance to legislative deliberations. His contributions to nation-building and democratic development will remain an enduring part of his legacy.
“On behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, the leadership, and the entire membership of the House, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, the people of Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, and the Government and people of Gombe State on this painful loss.
“As we mourn the passing of our dear colleague, we pray that Almighty Allah (SWT) forgives his shortcomings, accepts his good deeds, and grants him Aljannatul Firdaus. We also pray that Allah (SWT) grants his family, loved ones, constituents, and colleagues the strength and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” Rotimi said.
He added that further details regarding parliamentary tributes and funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
A member of the House of Representatives from Kaduna North and Chairman, Committee on Banking Regulations, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has disclosed that his father, Nasir El-Rufai’s continued detention shows that Nigeria’s democratic journey is far from complete.
Bello noted that democracy can only thrive in Nigeria when the country’s leadership is accountable.
El-Rufai has been in custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, since he was arrested at the Abuja airport earlier in the year.
The commission had arraigned him for corruption while he was governor of Kaduna State.
However, posting on X, Bello wrote: “Today, we celebrate the enduring strength of our democracy and the collective voice of the Nigerian people. Democracy thrives when leadership is accountable, citizens are empowered, and every voice is heard.
“As we commemorate this important day, we must also acknowledge that while our democracy continues to endure, the abuse of citizens’ rights remains a troubling reality.
“The true test of any democracy is not simply the conduct of elections, but its commitment to the rule of law, due process, and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
“The continued unlawful detention of my father, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, alongside the experiences of many other Nigerians who have faced similar violations, serves as a reminder that our democratic journey is far from complete.
“On this Democracy Day, let us recommit ourselves to building a nation where justice prevails, institutions are strengthened, and the rights of every citizen are respected and protected.”
The National Leader of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, on Friday held a closed-door meeting with the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, amid recent crises in the party.
Dickson made this known in a statement on his official X handle, revealing that the meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, was attended by Obi and other senior party leaders.
“I just received my brother, colleague, and partner in the New Nigerian Project, His Excellency Mr Peter Gregory Obi, CON, our presidential candidate, who, together with some distinguished leaders of our party, held a closed-door meeting which lasted about three hours.
“In the course of that meeting, we reviewed the activities of our party and discussed a few recent issues that have been a source of concern to all sides, and we amicably resolved all the issues.
“We have always been on the same page on the bigger picture, i.e., winning the elections for all candidates of our party and rescuing Nigeria from the misgovernance of the APC-led government. However, a few issues have arisen, and we have agreed on how to handle them moving forward.
“I want to use this opportunity again to call on all members of our party to stop the bickering and name-calling and focus on the bigger picture.
“Both His Excellency Peter Obi and I, as well as other leaders and stakeholders of our party, will continue to consult and engage with one another to address and resolve concerns, strengthen the unity and cohesion of our party, and ensure that we remain focused on our shared mission of rescuing Nigeria and building a better future for all.”
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