Presidency Apologizes Over Flawed Appointment List

The Presidency has issued an apology following the release of a controversial list of presidential appointments, which critics say was intended to counter accusations of ethnic favoritism but ended up reinforcing them due to notable omissions.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment pattern has recently come under intense scrutiny, with opposition figures alleging a regional bias in favor of his South West base. Among the most vocal critics is Senator Ali Ndume, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and representative of Borno South. Speaking in a recent interview with Arise Television, Ndume accused the President of breaching the federal character principle enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.

Ndume defended his stance, stating that as a lawmaker, he has both the right and responsibility to critique the President’s decisions—even as a member of the same political party.

In response to the backlash, the Presidency released a breakdown of Tinubu’s appointments by geopolitical zones: 29 from the South West, 35 from the North West, 25 from the North Central, 24 from the North East, 22 from the South-South, and 16 from the South East.

However, the list sparked further criticism as it was not only seen to reflect the very imbalance it was meant to refute, but also omitted key names—including that of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, a major figure from the South West.

The exclusion heightened concerns about underrepresentation of the South East and reinforced public perception of regional bias in the administration.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, acknowledged the errors and offered an apology.

“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 stated.

Notably, no reason was given for the exclusion of Gbajabiamila’s name from the list. As debate continues to swirl on social media, the public awaits the promised corrected version.