NAHCON chairman Pakistan resigns amid internal crisis

The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Usman Pakistan, has resigned from his position, Daily commerce has learnt.

The resignation was confirmed late Monday by Ahmed Muazu, media assistant to the chairman. Though no official reason was provided at the time of filing this report.

Mr Usman, a professor, was appointed NAHCON chairman by President Bola Tinubu in 2024, following the removal of his predecessor, Jalal Arabi. Mr Arabi was sacked amid an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds released for the 2024 Hajj exercise.

During his tenure, Mr Usman supervised the 2025 Hajj operations, his first at the national level. However, his time in office was marked by a series of controversies that triggered internal tensions within the commission.

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Central to the disputes were allegations of financial mismanagement and misappropriation of funds linked to the 2025 Hajj exercise, which reportedly strained relations among commissioners and attracted public scrutiny.

In a petition dated January 19, 2026, signed by 11 board members and titled Vote of No Confidence in the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, the board alleged financial indiscipline, lack of transparency, and repeated expenditure of funds and award of contracts without board approval, exceeding budgetary limits.

The growing rift prompted the intervention of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who convened a meeting with key stakeholders about two weeks ago in an effort to resolve the dispute and stabilise the commission.

Mr Usman’s resignation now deepens uncertainty within NAHCON, raising concerns over leadership succession and the management of Nigeria’s Hajj operations ahead of the 2026 pilgrimage.

Before his resignation, Usman’s last official engagement took place last week, when he received Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, in Abuja.