The Presidency has issued an official apology over errors in the recently published breakdown of federal
appointments made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The move comes in response to mounting public scrutiny over
perceived regional imbalances in the president’s selection process.
Concerns over the appointments escalated after Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South under the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC), accused the President of breaching the federal character principle during an interview
on Arise Television. Despite being a member of Tinubu’s party, Ndume stated that his loyalty to Nigeria and
constitutional duty required him to speak out.
To allay these concerns, the Presidency released a regional analysis of federal appointments, revealing the following
distribution: North West – 35; South West – 29; North Central – 25; North East – 24; South-South – 22; and South East – 16. However, the attempt at transparency backfired when the list was discovered to be incomplete.
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Critics quickly pointed out that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, a high-profile figure from the South
West was conspicuously missing from the list. This omission, among others, triggered fresh backlash online and
reignited debates about fairness, equity, and inclusiveness in national governance.
Amid the public outcry, Presidential Spokesperson and Special Adviser on Media & Public Communication, Sunday
Dare, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning to offer an apology. He acknowledged
the discrepancies and assured Nigerians that an updated and accurate list would soon be provided.
“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,” Dare posted. The Presidency’s rare public apology signals a willingness to correct missteps and improve communication around sensitive national matters.
