The Presidency on Thursday issued a public apology following widespread criticism of an error-laden list detailing appointments made by President Bola Tinubu since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
The list, which was released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, was intended to counter allegations of regional bias in the President’s appointments.
The controversy was stirred by remarks from Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), who, in an interview with Arise Television, accused President Tinubu of breaching the federal character principle—a constitutional guideline meant to ensure equitable representation of Nigeria’s diverse regions.
In response, Dare published a breakdown of appointees by geopolitical zone, showing: 29 from the South West, 35 from the North West, 25 from the North Central, 24 from the North East, 22 from the South-South, and 16 from the South East.
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While the figures appeared to support a broader geographical spread, critics were quick to flag significant omissions in the compilation.
Notably missing from the list were some of the President’s key appointees, including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap. Both are from the South West—Tinubu’s home region—raising further concerns about an apparent underrepresentation of the South East and exacerbating the perception of imbalance.
As the backlash mounted, especially across social media platforms, Dare acknowledged the oversight on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle. In a brief statement, he wrote:
“We have noticed a number of errors in the list of appointments tweeted. We are sorry. We will provide an updated list later. Thank you.”
However, the apology did not address why some of the most prominent appointees were left out of the original list.
© Ripples Nigeria
