In a rare moment of institutional self-correction, Nigeria’s Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CCSO) on Tuesday openly reversed its earlier position on allegations of fraud and abuse of office levelled against the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, and the agency’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Olanrewaju Obasa.
The press conference, held in Abuja on Tuesday, brought together leaders of all seventeen member-groups under the coalition—an unusual sight that underscored the weight of the issue and the urgency of the clarification they sought to make.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the leadership admitted that the uproar that followed the allegations—initially amplified by some of its own member organizations—was triggered by media reports that, upon later scrutiny, did not stand up to factual verification.
After what the CCSO described as “an emergency joint meeting of all seventeen member organizations, a thorough review of official records, and direct engagement with verifiable evidence provided by the Bureau,” the coalition concluded that the allegations were “entirely false, baseless, and deliberately fabricated by interests opposed to the far-reaching reforms currently underway at the BPP.”
In a move many observers considered courageous, the coalition publicly retracted all prior statements implicating the BPP leadership. On the podium, its representatives read out an unreserved apology:
“On behalf of the entire Coalition and its over seventeen member organizations, we hereby unreservedly withdraw every statement, press release, social media post, or public comment issued by CCSO or any of its affiliates that implicated Dr. Adebowale Adedokun and Mr. Olanrewaju Obasa in any wrongdoing.” It said.
The apology extended not just to the accused individuals, but also “to the management and staff of the BPP; the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the distress, embarrassment, and reputational harm caused by our earlier position.”
Beyond retracting the allegations, CCSO issued a resounding vote of confidence in Dr. Adedokun’s leadership, describing his tenure as one marked by institutional strengthening rather than corruption.
The coalition highlighted several initiatives they believe justify their renewed support: the establishment of the Price Intelligence Unit, the Procurement Surveillance and Audit Unit, and the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit; the expansion of affirmative procurement; increased participation of women, youth, and SMEs in federal contracting; and the soon-to-be-introduced contractor rating system expected to reshape project delivery in 2026.
These reforms, the coalition said, were precisely what had drawn hostility from those pushing the false allegations. In their words, evidence now shows that Dr. Adedokun is “not the problem but part of the solution.”
Perhaps the most immediate outcome of the policy reversal was the cancellation of the national rally earlier scheduled for December 5.
“Officially and irrevocably,” CCSO declared, the rally is cancelled. All state chapters, zonal coordinators, and partner networks have been instructed to stand down.
The coalition also called on media outlets and online platforms that echoed the allegations to demonstrate equal accountability by pulling down misleading reports and issuing corrections.
It commended the BPP leadership for what it described as uncommon transparency, saying:
“We commend Dr. Adebowale Adedokun and the BPP for their transparency and willingness to be held accountable – qualities that true reformers embody.” It said.