Thank You for Latest Appointments, But Please Remember South-East – Ndume Tells Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has received praise from former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, for his latest round of federal board appointments, which include key leadership positions across several agencies. However, Ndume also called on the president to ensure greater inclusion of the South-East in future appointments.

The newly announced list of appointees, released over the weekend, features Muhammad Babangida, son of former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture. Other notable appointments include Lydia Kalat Musa as Chairperson of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, Jamilu Wada Aliyu as Chairman of the National Educational Research and Development Council, Yahuza Ado Inuwa to lead the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and Sanusi Musa as Chairman of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Also named were Professor Al-Mustapha Aliyu as Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, Sanusi Garba Rikiji as Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, and Abdulmumini Aminu-Zaria as Executive Director of the Integrated Water Resources Management Commission. Oyo State’s Tomi Somefun was appointed Director-General of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission.

A regional analysis of the appointments showed strong representation from the North-West and North-Central. Kano and Kaduna secured three and two appointments, respectively, while Sokoto and Zamfara each received one. Outside the northern zone, only Oyo State had a named appointee. Ndume acknowledged this shift as a positive response to northern concerns, particularly after a similar wave of appointments in May, which saw 12 individuals from northern states assigned to key federal roles.

“These appointments, along with those in May, show that President Tinubu listens to genuine concerns and responds accordingly. It’s reassuring for the North, especially for elders who supported him during the last election,” Ndume said.

Still, the senator representing Borno South cautioned against the continued exclusion of the South-East from federal patronage, stressing that such imbalance contradicts the Federal Character Principle enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

“The narrative that the South-East is being marginalised must not be allowed to take root. It’s a constitutional misstep to sideline any region in a federal system. While we commend the president’s leadership, we hope upcoming appointments will reflect a truly inclusive national outlook,” he stated.