Amid rising tensions within the ruling party and growing dissatisfaction across regions, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address what he described as lopsided appointments in his administration.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired Friday night, the veteran lawmaker expressed concern that the current structure of federal appointments under Tinubu’s leadership violates the Federal Character principle enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution.
According to him, the uneven distribution of key positions risks fuelling alienation and resentment in already tense political quarters.
“Seventy-two of Tinubu’s appointees are Yorubas,” Ndume said pointedly. “Section 14 (3) of the Constitution is very clear — appointments should be spread in such a way that no tribe is left out. Every part of the country deserves a sense of belonging.”
Ndume, himself a senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisted that his remarks were not driven by malice but by a deep concern for fairness, unity, and the future of Nigerian democracy. He added that he does not believe President Tinubu is deliberately marginalizing other regions, but called for immediate corrective action.
“You know why I’m speaking out? Because I believe the President may not even be aware of the scale of this imbalance. But now, almost two years into his tenure, it’s clear the appointments are skewed. This can still be corrected — and it must be,” he said.
Drawing parallels to the past, Ndume recalled confronting former President Muhammadu Buhari over similar issues with his appointment of service chiefs. “I criticised Buhari too, and I did so openly. He gave me his reasons. So this isn’t new — it’s about doing what’s right for the country.”
Beyond regional concerns, the senator warned of mounting internal discontent within the APC itself. He referenced recent statements by prominent party members, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who expressed frustration over being sidelined.
“Many APC members feel abandoned,” Ndume stated. “They say they no longer have access to the President, and instead of meaningful engagement, the response from the presidency has been to attack these people on the pages of newspapers. That’s very dangerous.”
He stressed that every vote will matter in the next election, and cautioned that the growing wave of disaffection — if ignored — could snowball into a formidable opposition coalition against Tinubu and the APC.
© Ripples Nigeria
