Ndume to Tinubu: 72 Yorubas appointed, not fair

By Adeniyi Yusuf

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, has urged President Bola Tinubu to address growing concerns over perceived regional imbalance in federal appointments, rather than allowing presidential aides to target critics.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics on Friday, as reported by The New Daily Prime, Ndume expressed strong dissatisfaction with the appointments. He noted that such imbalance, if left unaddressed, could deepen resentment and strengthen emerging opposition alliances that may challenge both the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “Seventy-two of Tinubu’s appointees are Yorubas. I’m not talking about North or South. Section 14(3) is clear—it says that appointments to political positions should be spread in such a way that no tribe is left out. The constitution says that everybody should have a sense of belonging.

“The reason I’m speaking out is because I believe the President may not be fully aware of this. I don’t think it’s deliberate. But now that he’s well into his tenure, the appointments are clearly lopsided—there’s no argument about that. It can be corrected, and it should be corrected. I hope they see this as a wake-up call. I criticized Buhari over his lopsided appointment of Service Chiefs. I even confronted him about it, and he gave me his reasons.”

Earlier this week, the Presidency responded to Senator Ndume’s criticism, accusing the lawmaker of hypocrisy and selective perception. Days after Ndume alleged that key positions in Tinubu’s administration were dominated by a single region, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, took to his X handle on Tuesday evening to dismiss the senator’s claims.

Onanuga stated that Ndume’s criticism ignored key facts and was driven by political theatrics rather than genuine concern for national equity. He accused the Borno South Senator of trying to position himself as a moral authority on fairness, despite contrary evidence.

He said, “Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.

“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he failed to mention that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments. The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, is from Ndume’s senatorial district. If Tinubu’s choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?”

He continued, “As a politician, Ndume has proven time and again that he is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics. His habit of firing half-baked criticisms—only to be contradicted by facts—proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble-rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.”

Onanuga maintained that the Presidency remains committed to inclusivity and fairness, dismissing Ndume’s remarks as part of a recurring pattern of sensationalism aimed at stirring public discontent. He reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, stating that appointments under the current administration are guided by merit, integrity, and national balance.

“The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, geographical spread, and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” he said.

The presidential aide also advised Ndume to “elevate public discourse” and desist from what he described as “misinformation and baseless criticism.”