A civil society group, the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, has announced plans to stage a second phase of peaceful protest over what it described as statutory violations in the appointment of Executive Directors of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS).
In a letter dated March 2, 2026, and addressed to the NRS Chairman at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, the coalition alleged that five of the six Executive Directors were appointed in contravention of Part IV, Section 17(1) of the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The group, led by its Convener, Comrade Amande M. Solomon, recalled that it had earlier staged a protest at the NRS headquarters on February 16, 2026, drawing attention to what it termed “a grave breach of laid-down statutory procedure” in the appointments.
According to the coalition, the Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, provides that the President shall appoint six Executive Directors, each representing a geopolitical zone on a rotational basis among states in the zone in alphabetical order.
It further stipulates that the Executive Chairman and an Executive Director must not originate from the same state.
Citing a Certified True Copy of the legislation released by the National Assembly, the group alleged that the appointments failed to comply with the alphabetical rotation principle enshrined in the law.
Specifically, it claimed that Borno State was selected to represent the North-East instead of Adamawa State; Niger State was appointed for the North-Central instead of Benue State; Kano State was chosen for the North-West instead of Jigawa State; Imo State was picked for the South-East instead of Abia State; and Lagos State was named for the South-West instead of Ekiti State.
The coalition argued that the alleged deviations had shortchanged certain states and undermined the principles of fairness and equity intended by the Act.
“The deliberate and willful disregard of due process has resulted in certain states being favoured over others. This poses a serious threat to fairness, equity and national unity,” the letter stated.
Expressing dissatisfaction over what it described as the NRS’s silence following its initial protest, the group said the lack of response suggested an attempt to sustain the perceived irregularities.
It therefore fixed Monday, March 9, 2026, for a renewed protest at the agency’s headquarters, disclosing plans to mobilise at least 100 delegates each from the five affected states, amounting to about 500 protesters.
According to the coalition, the demonstrators would converge on the premises with sleeping materials and cooking utensils and remain there until their demands are addressed.
Copies of the letter were sent to the Chief Security Officer of the NRS, the Department of State Services attached to the agency, and the Nigeria Police Force unit stationed at the headquarters.
As of press time, the NRS had yet to issue an official response to the allegations.