Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the lingering leadership crisis at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), describing the situation as evidence of a government struggling to assert authority.
President Tinubu had, through a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the appointment of former House of Representatives member, Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas, as the new Director-General of the BCDA, replacing Dakorinama Alabo George, who is reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, weeks after the announcement, George has remained in office, continuing to function as the agency’s Director-General.
Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the development as another embarrassing example of administrative confusion under the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the inability of the presidency to enforce its own appointment raises serious concerns about the government’s coordination and credibility.
“How does a president publicly appoint a new head of a federal agency, yet weeks later the person said to have been replaced remains in office, continues to exercise authority, appears on the agency’s official website as its chief executive, and even holds official meetings with ministers? What exactly is the Presidency asking Nigerians and the international community to believe?” Atiku queried.
He argued that the situation damages Nigeria’s image before investors and international partners.
“The embarrassment is becoming too much for us as a nation. We cannot continue to market Nigeria as a serious investment destination while our own government cannot determine who heads one of its agencies.
“Every needless contradiction chips away at our national credibility. Investors are watching. Development partners are watching. The world is watching,” he said.
The former vice president urged the Presidency to immediately clarify the legal status of the BCDA leadership to prevent further uncertainty.
Atiku also took a swipe at the Tinubu administration, accusing it of presiding over repeated policy inconsistencies, institutional confusion and worsening economic hardship.
He maintained that rather than focusing on an early re-election campaign, President Tinubu should concentrate on addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges or consider withdrawing from the 2027 presidential race.
“Having presided over an administration that has lurched from one avoidable controversy to another—from policy reversals to institutional confusion, from worsening economic hardship to repeated governance failures—President Tinubu should take an honest look at the state of the nation and draw the only honourable conclusion.
“Rather than diverting public attention to an early re-election campaign, he should devote whatever remains of his tenure to addressing the pressing challenges confronting the nation or, better still, acknowledge that he has fallen short of the expectations of Nigerians and gracefully withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest,” the statement read.
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