Tinubu Administration Confirms Only 2 Appointments for South-East and South-South in 22 Key Security Roles, Raising Federal Character Concerns

The Tinubu administration has come under public scrutiny following confirmation that the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria received only two appointments out of the 22 top security and key agency roles. This revelation, shared by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, has sparked intense discussions on regional equity and adherence to the Federal Character Act.

Dare released a comprehensive list of security appointments under President Bola Tinubu, emphasizing that the distribution represents the administration’s aim for regional representation. However, many critics argue that the appointments largely favor northern and southwestern regions, sparking debates over regional favoritism and the intent behind the Federal Character Act.

According to Dare’s list, the North-West tops the appointments with eight roles, followed by the South-West with five, North-Central with four, and North-East with three. However, the South-South and South-East regions received only one appointment each. Section 14 (3) of the Federal Character Act mandates that federal appointments reflect Nigeria’s diverse ethnic composition to promote national unity and loyalty. Critics argue that the present distribution falls short of this goal.

A recent report highlighted concerns that key appointments under Tinubu have been “Yorubanized”—a term used to describe the perceived favoring of the Yoruba ethnic group in sensitive positions, particularly in security roles. Appointments of individuals like Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Chief of Army Staff Major General Olufemi Oluyede, and other key agency heads from the South-West have further fueled these concerns.

In response, Dare defended the appointments, asserting that they aim to foster a balanced representation. However, analysts and opposition voices point out that the dominance of appointees from the South-West raises questions about Tinubu’s adherence to federal character principles.