Tinubu, Jonathan, Others Hail NILDS DG, Suleiman at 60 as Jega, Ooni, Lawan Call for Ethical, Transformative Leadership

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has extended heartfelt felicitations to Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), on his 60th birthday, describing him as a model public servant and reform-minded scholar whose leadership has strengthened legislative governance in Nigeria.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu commended Suleiman’s distinguished career in academia and public service.

He noted his track record as Minister of National Planning, Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission, and currently as DG of NILDS.

The President said Suleiman’s contributions to research, policy development, and institutional reform have been instrumental in deepening democratic governance and building the capacity of legislators across Nigeria and West Africa. 

He said, “Under his leadership, NILDS has emerged as a true centre of excellence for legislative studies and democratic development.”

He prayed for Suleiman’s continued health, wisdom, and greater service to the nation.

The 60th birthday celebration also served as the occasion for the public presentation of a new book titled ‘Transformative Leadership in Practice: NILDS under Professor Abubakar Suleiman’, which chronicles his reform journey at the institute.

At the event, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, delivered a stirring call for Nigeria’s political elites to embrace values-based leadership as the foundation for national transformation.

According to Jega, Nigeria’s development challenges stem largely from a “failure of leadership ethics.” 

He explained that transformative leadership, anchored on integrity, vision, and service, is the missing link in the country’s governance framework.

Jega said, “We cannot continue to lament weak institutions while celebrating mediocrity,

“Leadership must be guided by service, not self-interest. Until our leaders internalise this principle, national transformation will remain elusive,“ he said.

He described the book on Suleiman’s tenure as a “compelling case study” that demonstrates how purposeful leadership can rebuild institutions and restore public confidence. 

Jega noted that during Suleiman’s six-year stewardship, NILDS underwent significant reforms, expanding its staff strength by over 60 percent, reviewing more than 1,300 bills, conducting around 700 training programmes for legislators and civil society organisations, and completing its long-delayed permanent headquarters project.

“These are the kinds of reforms that stand in contrast to the stagnation and inefficiency that have become normalised in our public institutions,” Jega observed, urging leaders to emulate such commitment to results-driven governance.

Also lending his voice, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, emphasised that Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a lack of intellectual capital but a deficit of integrity and moral leadership.

He praised Suleiman as an exemplar of principled leadership, noting that “Nigeria’s renewal depends on leaders who embody simplicity, empathy, and discipline.” 

The monarch described the NILDS DG as “a professor not only in scholarship but also in leadership and ethics,” adding that his conduct proves that moral leadership remains possible in Nigerian public life.

Representing former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), hailed Suleiman as an “institution builder” whose leadership left an enduring imprint both at the National Planning Commission and at NILDS.

Adoke recalled that even though Suleiman’s appointment came toward the end of the Jonathan administration, his impact was immediate and far-reaching. “He brought professionalism, structure, and accountability to the public sector, values our institutions still desperately need,” he said.

Former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who chaired the NILDS Governing Council when he was in office, also lauded the DG’s reform-driven leadership, describing him as “a visionary who turned ideas into action.”

Lawan highlighted key innovations introduced under Suleiman, including the establishment of the Institute for Legislative Security Analysis and the Democracy Lab, initiatives he said reflected the DG’s commitment to making NILDS a knowledge-driven hub for policy research and democratic development.

“Professor Suleiman transformed NILDS into a policy powerhouse that not only supports the National Assembly but also advances democratic governance across West Africa,” Lawan said, urging public servants to emulate his model of efficiency and purpose.