Presidency Issues Apology Over Inaccurate Appointment List Amid Bias Concerns

Presidency Issues Apology Over Inaccurate Appointment List Amid Bias Concerns

The Presidency has issued a public apology following the release of an inaccurate list of political appointees, which was intended to counter growing criticism that President Bola Tinubu is favoring his ethnic group in key federal positions.

In recent weeks, President Tinubu’s appointment choices have come under scrutiny from both opposition figures and members within his own party. Among the most outspoken critics is Senator Ali Ndume, an APC lawmaker representing Borno South.

Speaking on Arise Television, Ndume accused the President of violating the federal character principle, emphasizing that his allegiance to the party would not stop him from demanding accountability.

In response to the criticism, the Presidency released a breakdown of appointments by geo-political zones: 29 from the South West, 35 from the North West, 22 from the South-South, 16 from the South East, 25 from North Central, and 24 from the North East.

However, the effort to provide transparency quickly backfired when observers pointed out that the list was incomplete. Notably, it excluded one of the administration’s most prominent figures — the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who hails from the South West. The oversight further fueled concerns over the underrepresentation of the South East and raised doubts about the credibility of the data presented.

Amid the backlash, Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare acknowledged the mistake in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“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.”

Dare, however, did not address the exclusion of Gbajabiamila or respond to the broader concerns about regional imbalance in the President’s appointments.