The Presidency has reacted to Senator Ali Ndume’s comments over President Bola Tinubu’s political appointments.
Mr. Ndume who represents Borno South at the Red Chamber, had while speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, criticised President Tinubu over what he described as non-compliance with the federal character principle in political appointments.
According to the lawmaker, Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that political appointments reflect the country’s diversity.
He accused Tinubu of violating the constitutional requirement for balanced representation in government appointments.
“The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you figures. It’s not that I’m just making accusations. And it’s not that I’m saying, well, the president has no right to do that kind of thing.
“When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments, the constitution is very clear.
“It is because of avoiding such infractions that the constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments, should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here,” he said.
But, reacting to Ndume’s accusations in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, lambasted Ndume for alleging that Mr. Tinubu’s are so ‘tribal’.
The presidential spokesman urged Ndume to elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism, which he described as a disservice to the nation.
Read Mr. Onanuga’s statement here:
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer 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 and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?
“As a politician, Ndume has proven time and time 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, stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.
“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations. He aims to harness our nation’s diverse strengths to achieve a common goal: building a prosperous Nigeria.
“The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, integrity, geographical spread and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic.”
