Confusion as Tinubu Appoints Two Heads for Same Agency

Confusion has erupted following the appointment of two individuals as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority (UNRBDA). Less than two months after President Bola Tinubu named Aliyu Tajudeen, younger brother of Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, as the head of the agency, the president also appointed Dangajere Jaja to the same position. Jaja was reportedly nominated by Governor Uba Sani.

Sources reveal that the speaker allegedly secured approval for his brother ahead of the governor’s candidate, who was already in the screening phase. Angered by this development, Governor Sani reportedly met with the president and obtained a separate approval for Jaja.

Aliyu Tajudeen’s appointment was formally communicated in a letter dated October 30, 2024, signed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The letter stated that Tajudeen’s appointment took effect from October 29, 2024, for a four-year term. However, the subsequent appointment of Dangajere Jaja, announced without reference to Tajudeen’s existing tenure, was issued in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Jaja’s appointment was also accompanied by the announcement of six new executive directors for the agency.

Observers note that this is not the first time President Tinubu’s appointments have sparked controversy. In August 2024, the president withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty as a ministerial nominee from Kano while she awaited screening at the National Assembly, replacing her with Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure.

Further examples include the withdrawal of Imam Ibrahim Kashim’s appointment as chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in October, and the revision of Daniel Bwala’s role as Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications to Special Adviser on Policy Communications within 24 hours of his initial appointment.

On December 6, Yazid Danfulani’s appointment as Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund/Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative was also revoked, citing a lack of vacancy in the position. Fatima Shinkafi was reinstated as executive secretary.

Insiders suggest these frequent reversals are due to a lack of thorough vetting and alleged interference by influential groups within the presidency. Efforts to obtain a response from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on the issue were unsuccessful.