The Presidency has strongly rebuked Senator Ali Ndume following his accusation that President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments are skewed and violate the federal character principle.
Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, had alleged in a recent television interview that the President’s appointments were unfair and regionally imbalanced.
Responding to the claims, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the senator’s comments as “hypocritical” and a product of “selective perception.”
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on television about so-called lopsided appointments by President Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception,” Onanuga stated.
He further revealed that contrary to Ndume’s complaints, two of the senator’s own kinsmen were recently appointed to top positions within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
“While the Borno senator postured as a moral compass on issues of equity, he conveniently failed to mention that two of his kinsmen were among those recently appointed into senior roles at NNPC Limited,” Onanuga added.
The presidential aide emphasized that Tinubu’s appointments are driven by a commitment to merit, integrity, and national unity.
“The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, geographical representation, and proven capacity to serve the Nigerian people—not on Senator Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” he said.
Onanuga concluded by urging the senator to elevate the tone of national discourse and refrain from spreading what he termed as “misinformation and baseless criticism.”
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