Northern Elders Accuse Tinubu of Unbalanced Appointments

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has criticized the federal appointments made by President Bola Tinubu since he took office in 2023, alleging that they have been skewed, unfair, and have excluded several geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, the Forum’s spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, expressed concerns that the appointments heavily favored the South-West region, sidelining the other five geopolitical zones.

According to the Forum, this pattern of appointments undermines the spirit of national unity and violates the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, particularly Chapter 2, Section 14(3). The section emphasizes the importance of adhering to the federal character principle, which mandates equitable distribution of political appointments, public service positions, and socio-economic resources across the country.

The Forum specifically criticized the recent composition of the National Census Committee, accusing it of being grossly unbalanced in favor of the South-West and potentially excluding other vital regions. They described the exclusion of these regions as a direct challenge to the democratic values of fairness, inclusivity, and balanced representation.

The statement stressed that the conduct of a national census is a sensitive matter that requires the trust and participation of all geopolitical zones. Any attempt to marginalize or suppress the interests of certain regions, it warned, could compromise the credibility, accuracy, and national acceptance of the census results.

In response, the NEF is demanding the immediate reconstitution of the National Census Committee to ensure the fair representation of all six geopolitical zones in compliance with the federal character principle.

Furthermore, the Forum has called for a comprehensive review and equitable redistribution of all federal appointments across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), ensuring that the appointments reflect the country’s diversity and are constitutionally compliant.

The statement also cautioned that continued neglect of principles such as equity, justice, and inclusivity could jeopardize Nigeria’s unity. It warned that the ongoing marginalization of certain regions could breed resentment, deepen divisions, and lead to unnecessary instability.

The NEF concluded by asserting that Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity, and true unity can only be preserved with leadership that is fair, inclusive, and committed to upholding the rule of law.