Tinubu’s appointments: Presidency’s defence backfires

Efforts by the Presidency to defend the alleged lopsided appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has backfired. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, had released a list, showing the appointments made so far by President Tinubu from the six geo-political zones of the country. The action came hours […]

Efforts by the Presidency to defend the alleged lopsided appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has backfired.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, had released a list, showing the appointments made so far by President Tinubu from the six geo-political zones of the country.

The action came hours after a senator from the North-east geo-political zone, Ali Ndume, accused the president of violating the law in his appointments.

But it was not long after the list was released that the presidential spokesman was made to beat a retreat, apologising for errors in the document.

In the recent past, appointments made by President Tinubu have come under scrutiny with some Nigerians alleging lopsidedness.

 

Ali Ndume’s criticism

Senator Ali Ndume, an All Progressives Congress, (APC) lawmaker representing Borno-South, in a television interview had accused the president of violating the federal character principle in his appointments.

Ndume said he decided to call the president’s attention to his “lopsided appointments” which he said also violated the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because, as a lawmaker, he had the right to criticise the president, even though they belong to the same party.

According to Ndume, Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution mandates that political appointments reflect the country’s diversity.

He went further to say that “The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you figures. It’s not that I’m just making accusations. And it’s not that I’m saying, well, the president has no right to do that kind of thing.

“But it’s a constitutional provision. Section 13, I mean, Section 14 (3) of the constitution is very, very clear,” he insisted.

The senator added that the current appointments do not align with the federal character principle as outlined by law.

“When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments, the constitution is very clear.

“It is because of avoiding such infractions that the constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments, should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here.

“And all I am saying is to call the attention of Mr President to such infractions so that it can be corrected; otherwise, you know, these things can boomerang at a certain period of time”, Ndume said.

 

Presidency retracts list

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to deny the claim by Senator Ndume, Sunday Dare, released a list, showing President Tinubu’s appointees from each geopolitical zone.

The list showed that since assumption of office, President Tinubu had appointed 35 persons into offices from the North-West, 29 people from the South-West, his own region, 25 from North-Central, 24 from the North- East, 22 from the South-South and 16 from the South-East.

However, a notable omission was noticed as the name of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was not on the list. The development ignited another debate, following which Mr. Dare took to his X handle to apologise for the errors.

He wrote: “We have noticed a number of errors in the list of appointments tweeted. We are sorry. We will provide an updated list later. Thank you”.

 

Nigerians expect transparent ethnic analysis of appointments – Bello

Also commenting on the issue, a public affairs analyst, Hon Ayuba Mohammed Bello, wrote that what Nigerians expect from the Presidency is “a fair and transparent ethnic analysis of appointments under President Tinubu’s administration, especially since the Yoruba were directly mentioned.”

He said what was released by the Presidency was a regional breakdown, “a tactic that glosses over the actual substance of Senator Ndume’s concern, which is centered on ethnic dominance, not just regional representation.”

He said the concern of Nigerians is not about a “North vs. South” argument. “It’s about the increasing Yoruba dominance in federal appointments—across not just the South-West, but spanning other geopolitical zones, including North-Central and even the North-East.

“What Senator Ndume is saying is quite clear—he is pointing at ethnic concentration, and the attempt to dilute his message by framing it as regional is both evasive and disingenuous.”

According to him, “When people say “Yoruba-dominated,” they’re referring to individuals authentically Yoruba by tribe and language, whether they reside in the North-Central (like in Kwara, Kogi, Niger), the North-East, or even abroad. It’s not just about where people live; it’s about who they are and what that means in the context of equity in federal representation.

“The North, for example, is an ethnically diverse region, and lumping everyone under “North-East” or “North-West” without mentioning whether they are Fulani, Hausa, Igbo Kanuri, Nupe, Gwari, Jukun, etc., is misleading. It’s a convenient smokescreen to avoid acknowledging the imbalance Senator Ndume is talking about,” he explained.

 

List released by the Presidency before it was withdrawn

South-west:

1. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
2. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
3. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior
4. Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power
5. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development
6. Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
7. Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine & Blue Economy
8. Olayemi Cardoso, CBN Governor
9. Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff
10. Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police
11. Zaccheus Adedeji, Chairman, FIRS
12. Adeola Ajayi, Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS)
13. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of Customs
14. Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
15. Kayode Isiak Opeifa, Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation
16. Oluwasegun Faleye, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund
17. Vincent Olatunji, (NSITF)
18. Raji Kazeem Kolawole, Managing Director /CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT)
19. Bayo Onanuga, Director General, National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI)
20. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy
21. Tope Kolade Fasua, Special Adviser on Public Communications Orientation
22. Peju Adedajo, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters (Office of the VP)
23. Temitola Asekunle-Johnson, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Investment & Privatisation (Office of VP)
24. Mariam Temitope, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Job Creation & NSMEs (Office of VP)
25. Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Regional Development Programmes
26. Moremi Ojudu, SSAP on Community Engagement
27. Tope Ajayi, SSA, Media and Public Affairs
28. Segun Dada, Special Assistant, Social Media
29. Demola Oshodi, SSA, Protocol

 

North-central:

1. Shuaibu Audu

 

Minister of Steel Development

2.Muhammed Idris

 

Minister of Information

3. Zaphanian Jisalo

 

Minister of Special Duties

4. Lateef Fagbemi

 

Minister of Justice

5. Joseph Utsev

 

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation

6. Nentawe Yilwatde

 

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction

7. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim

 

Minister of State, Police Affairs

8. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi

 

Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security

9. Bashir Bayo Ojulari

 

GMD, NNPC Limited

10. Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed

 

Director General, National Intelligence Agency

11. Dr. Idris A. Sulaimon

 

Director General, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC)

12. Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi

 

Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps

13. Engr. Jaji O. Abdulganiyu

 

Controller General of the Federal Fire Service

14. Kemi Nandap

 

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service

15. Haruna Y. Usman

 

Chairman, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority

16. Dangajere Shuaibu Bawa Jaja Managing Director, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority

 

17. Dr. Amos Gizo Yadukso

 

Chairman, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority

18. Engr. Ninga Terese

 

Managing Director, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority

19. Abiodun Essiet, SSAP on Community Engagement
20. Gimba Kakanda,

 

Senior Special Assistant to the President, Research and Analytics (Office of the VP)

21. Isaq Ahmed Ningi,

 

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital media & Emergency Management

22. Mr. Aliyu Audu,

 

Special Assistant to the President, Public Affairs

23. Sen. Ibrahim Oloriege

 

Chairman, NHIA

24. Tunde Ajibulu,

 

Deputy Executive Secretary (Services), UBEC

25. Sunday Sylva Togo Echono,

Executive Secretary, TETFUND

North-east:

 

1. Abubakar Kyari

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

2. Idi Mukhtar Maiha

Minister of Livestock Development

3. Sa’idu Alkali

Minister of Tranportation

4. Yusuf Tuggar

Minister of Foreign Affairs

5. Muhammad Ali Pate

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare

6. Ibrahim Gaidam

Minister of Police Affairs

7. Uba Maigari Ahmadu

Minister of State for Regional Development

8. Ahmadu Musa Kida

NNPCL Non-executive Chairman.

9. Nuhu Ribadu

National Security Adviser

10. Mohammed Buba Marwa Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
11. Hajiya Hafsat Bakari

CEO, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit

12. Prof. Abdu Dauda

Chairman, Chad Basin Development Authority

13. Tijjani Musa Tumsa

Managing Director, Chad Basin Development Authority

14. Alh. Sanusi Mohammed Babantanko

 

Chairman, Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority

15) Abdulhamid Yahaya Abba

 

SSAP on Community Engagement

16) Dr. Bala Mohammed

 

Deputy Governor, CBN

17) Aliyu Modibbo Umar

 

Special Adviser (SAD), General Duties

18) Sadiq Wanna

 

Special Adviser (SAD), to the President on Power Infrastructure

19)Usman Muhammad

 

SSA to the President on Administration & Office Accommodation

20)Nasir Yammama

 

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Innovation, office of the VP.

21) Bashir Maidugu

 

Deputy State House Counsel (Senior Special Assistant to the President)

22) Dr Daniel Bwala

 

Special Adviser on Media and Policy Communications

23)Mr. Francis Adah Abah

 

Personal Assistant to the President, Special Duties

24)Mumuni Dagazau

 

Executive Vice President for Downstream

 

South – South

1) Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development

2) Ekperipe Ekpo, Minister of State, Gas Resources

3) Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources

4) John Enoh, Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment

5) Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory

6) Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Regional Development

7) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff

8) Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence

9) Emomotimi Agama, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

10) Mrs. Glory Ekpo Oho, Managing Director, Cross River Basin Development Authority

11) Sen. Magnus Abe, Chairman, National Agency for the Great Green Wall

12) Chief (Barr.) Ebikemi Boi Bosin, Chairman, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority

13) Hon. Amgbare Ebitimi, Managing Director, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority

14) Mr. Saleh Abubakar, Director-General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW)

15) Dr. Dakorinama Alabo George, Director-General, Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).

16) Gift Johnbull, SSAP on Community Engagement

17) Emem Nnana Usoro, CBN Deputy Governor

18) O’tega Ogra, SSA, Digital/New Media to the President

19. Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe, SSA, Strategic Communications

20) Rowland Ewubare, Group Chief Operating Officer, NNPCL

21) Nosa Asemota, Special Assistant, Visual Communications to the President

22) Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, Project Coordinator, HYPREP

 

South East

1) Dr. Doris Anite Uzoka, Minister of State for Finance

2) Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

3) Nkeiru Onyejiocha, Minister of State for Labour

4) Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works

5. Dr. Uche Nnaji, Minister of Science and Technology

6) Uzoma Nwagba, MD, Credicorp

7) Rt. Hon. Emeka Nduka, Managing Director, Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority

8) Adesua Dozie, Company Secretary and Chief Legal Officer, NNPCL

9)  Hon. Mark Okoye, MD/CEO, South-East Development Commission (SEDC)

10) Philip Ikeazor, Deputy Governor for Financial System Stability, CBN

11) Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President of Business Services, NNPCL

12) Mr. John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu, Special Adviser, Industry, Trade and Investment

13) Chioma Nweze, SSAP on Community Engagement

14) Kingsley Stanley Nkwocha, SSA to the President, Media and Communication (Office of VP)

15) Kingsley Uzoma, SSA to the President on Agribusiness & Productivity Enhancement (Office of VP)

16) Mr. Fredrick Nwabufo, SSA to the President on Public Engagement

 

North-West

1) Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Defence

2) Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy

3) Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development

4) Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Water Resources

5) Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Minister of State for Education

6) Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence

7) Hajiya Hafsat Bakari, CEO, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit

8) General Christopher Gwabin Musa,  Chief of Defence Staff

9) Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff

10) Haliru Nababa, Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service

11) Shehu Usman Mohammed, Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission

12) Aminu Maida, EVC, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

13) Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

14) Brig Gen YD Ahmed, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps

15) Muhammed Buba Marwa, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

16) Abdullahi  U Ganduje,  Chairman, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)

17) HE Abdullahi Ganduje,  Chairman, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria

18) Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission

19) Nasiru Gawuna, Chairman, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria

20) Musa Sarkin Adar, Chairman, National Inland Waterways Authority

21. H. E. Nasiru Gawuna, Chairman, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria
22. H.E Aminu Bello Masari, Chairman, TETFUND
23. Alh. Bashir Usman Gumel, Chairman, Federal Medical Centre, Yola

24) Dr. Mohammed Gusau Hassan, Chairman, Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu

25) Isa Sadiq Achida, Chairman, Raw Materials Research and Development Council

26) Amb. Abubakar Shehu Wurno, Chairman, Sokoto-Rima River Basin Development Authority

27)Major Gen. Jubril Abdulmalik, Secretary, Civil Defence, Immigration and Prisons Services Board

28) Dr Mohammed Mohammed Aminu, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (NABTEB)

29)Abdullahi Tanko Yakassai, SSAP on Community Engagement

30) Sani Dattijo, Deputy Governor, CBN

31) Rukaiya El-Rufai, Special Adviser to President on NEC & Climate Change (Office of the VP)

32) Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser (SAD), on Political Matters (Office of VP)

33. Muhammad Bulama, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Politics/Special Duties (office of the VP

34) Zainab Yunusa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on NEC (Office of the VP)

35) Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Print Media

36) Ibrahim Masari, SSA Politics