The Nigerian Presidency has apologized for errors in its list of appointments, which sparked accusations of ethnic favoritism. The omission of key figures like Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila fueled debate over regional representation in President Bola Tinubu’s government. An updated list will be released soon.
The Nigerian Presidency has apologized for inaccuracies in a recently released list of President Bola Tinubu’s appointments. The list was intended to address criticisms that the president was favoring his ethnic group, but it sparked further controversy after several errors were found.
Opposition politicians, including Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South, had accused Tinubu of violating the federal character principle in his appointments, alleging that most of the positions were filled by individuals from his home region. In a bid to counter these claims, the Presidency shared a list that detailed the appointments and their respective geopolitical zones. The list showed the number of appointees from various regions, including 29 from the South West, 35 from the North West, and 22 from the South-South.
However, the list sparked further outrage as it omitted key figures, most notably Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff. This omission fueled the perception that the South East region, in particular, was underrepresented in the administration. Social media quickly buzzed with discussions about the error, with critics questioning the integrity of the list and its true representation.
Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President, issued a public apology for the errors, acknowledging the mistake and assuring the public that an updated version of the list would be released shortly. He did not, however, provide a reason for Gbajabiamila's exclusion, leaving some questions unanswered. The apology comes at a time when regional representation in Nigeria’s political landscape is a highly sensitive issue.
