Nigerian Youth Coalition Calls on President Tinubu to Order Independent Review of Interior Minister’s NYSC Records
A coalition of Nigerian youth groups under the Forum of Ethnic Nationalities Youths Organisation (FENYO) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to establish an independent and impartial panel to review the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The call was made during a special media briefing in Port Harcourt, River State, on Saturday, 31 January 2026.
According to the coalition’s Convener, Mr. Ahiamen Aburime, the demand is rooted in the principles of transparency, institutional integrity, and democratic accountability, values that are fundamental to constitutional governance and international best practice.
Mr. Aburime disclosed that official correspondence Premium Times obtained from the NYSC under Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act confirms that:
Dr. Tunji-Ojo was mobilised for national service in 2006;
He absconded from the scheme and later re-emerged in 2019, when he was re-mobilised and redeployed to the Federal Capital Territory;
His Certificate of National Service was issued in February 2023, this is after Seventeen Years he absconded from the scheme.
“These records were not sourced from political opponents or social media speculation,” Mr. Aburime said. “They are official responses issued directly by the National Youth Service Corps. Our call is not a declaration of guilt but a demand for institutional clarity.”
The coalition noted that under Nigerian law, universities are responsible for mobilising graduates for national service, while the NYSC oversees deployment, discipline, and certification. Any irregularity within this process, particularly involving a serving cabinet minister, raises legitimate public interest concerns that warrant independent scrutiny.
FENYO warned that unresolved questions around the NYSC, Nigeria’s flagship civic integration programme, risk undermining public confidence, especially when they involve a senior public official responsible for internal security and civic administration.
The group urged President Tinubu to:
Constitute an independent panel of inquiry;
Publish the panel’s findings in the interest of transparency;
Temporarily relieve the minister of his duties pending the outcome, as an administrative safeguard consistent with democratic norms.
“Across democracies, temporarily stepping aside during investigations is a standard governance practice designed to protect institutions, not punish individuals,” the coalition stated.
Mr. Aburime added:
“Accountability is not persecution, and inquiry is not condemnation. Nigeria’s democratic credibility is strengthened when leaders submit themselves, and their offices, to transparent review.”
