- Many Nigerians, including key political leaders, have condemned Tinubu’s recent appointments for breaching constitutional balance and favouring specific regions over national representation.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments, describing them as a “desperate move to regain northern trust.”
This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
Abdullahi, a former minister of sports and youth development, said the move lacked sincerity.
He said the gesture was ‘too little, too late’ after more than a year of what it called deliberate regional neglect.
The ADC spokesperson said the administration had offered symbolic gestures instead of genuine policy action to address dissatisfaction in the North.
The criticism is the latest following Tinubu’s appointment of Muhammad Babangida, son of former military president Ibrahim Babangida, as chairman of the Bank of Agriculture.
“You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause simply because, in the twenty-sixth month, you suddenly remember that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi said the appointments appeared to be a form of ‘political panic management’ and not a genuine effort at inclusion.
He accused the government of trying to mask the damage caused by “calculated neglect, presidential arrogance, and open favouritism.”
The spokesperson linked the new appointments to larger government failures, including insecurity and economic hardship in the northern region.
“For over a year, this government looked away while bandits terrorised northern communities, farmers fled their lands, and rural economies collapsed under the impact of subsidy removal,” he said.
“Now, with opposition coalitions gaining traction, Tinubu suddenly remembers to appoint northerners into key positions.
“Now that the consequences of those decisions are glaring, the president is handing out appointments as if they are consolation prizes.
“Northerners, as co-owners of this republic, will not be deceived by such tokenism. They can see through the president’s actions and recognise that symbolism is not governance.”
He urged the president to abandon what he called “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” and instead pursue genuine national inclusion.
“You cannot patch a broken roof with press statements and photo-ops.
“You certainly cannot restore public trust by pretending that appointments are a substitute for real commitment to nation-building,” he added.