A legal practitioner and rights advocate, Barrister Danladi Azizi has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explain the reason for the return of Silas Agara as the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment after stepping down to contest the senatorial election in Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Azizi made this demand in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, Agara’s return to NDE raises serious constitutional, administrative, and ethical concerns.
He queried the authority under which Agara returned to office, noting that there had been no public announcement of his reappointment by the president.
Azizi explained that Agara complied with President Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective offices to resign; however, he returned to the office after losing out in the APC primaries.
“The fundamental question begging for answers is this: By what legal or constitutional authority has he returned to office without any formal announcement of his reappointment by the president?” He queried.
He argued that appointments to the office of director-general of a federal agency were statutory appointments governed by law and due process, insisting that once a resignation is accepted, the appointment comes to an end.
“Appointments into the office of Director-General of a federal agency are not family arrangements. They are statutory appointments that require due process. If an appointee voluntarily resigns and the resignation is accepted, such an appointment comes to an end,” the statement said.
Azizi challenged the presidency to disclose whether Agara was formally reappointed.
“The presidency owes Nigerians a clear explanation. Is there a formal letter of reappointment? If there is, why has it not been publicly announced? If there is none, under what authority is Mr. Agara occupying the office of director-general?” He asked.