The Presidency has responded to Senator Ali Ndume’s accusation that President Bola Tinubu’s appointments are skewed and violate the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, made the allegation during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday. He faulted the President for not ensuring balanced representation across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
“The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you the 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 thing,” he stated.
“But it’s a constitutional provision. Section 13, I mean, Section 14 (3) of the Constitution is obvious,” the senator emphasised.
According to Ndume, many of Tinubu’s political appointments fall short of the constitutional mandate, stipulating that federal appointments must reflect the country’s diversity.
“When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments, the Constitution is obvious.
“It is because of avoiding such infractions that the Constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments, should reflect the federal character, which is not the case here.
“And all I am saying is to call the attention of Mr President to such infractions so that it can be corrected; otherwise, you know, these things can boomerang at a certain period,” Ndume warned.
Anticipating backlash from his remarks, he added, “But you know what? After this interview, those attack dogs or maga-dogs will start attacking Ndume, not the message.”
In a response yesterday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to X (formerly Twitter) to issue a rebuttal titled “A response to Ali Ndume.”
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception,” Onanuga wrote.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his relatives 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 relatives clinch NNPC’s top roles?”
Onanuga accused the senator of playing to the gallery and spreading misinformation.
“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,” the presidential aide stated.
He further defended the President’s appointment strategy based on merit and national inclusivity.
“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.”
“We urge Ndume to elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism. This is a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator,” he added.
