Nigerians have come down hard on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the lopsidedness in his political appointments. He is being accused of continuing from the nepotism of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after making 10 new appointments, six of which favoured his South West region.

The trend of his lopsided appointments to favour the Yoruba ethnic nationality has been obvious since he became President on 29th May, 2023, but it has become more pronounced.

Those who spoke to People&Politics on the issue describe it as act of ‘extreme nepotism’. According to Mr. Silas Ezebuenyi, the act not only favours the President’s region, it is specially targeted against the South-East region of the country which has received the least number of appointments under Tinubu.

Rukevwe Joyce, a banker who spoke on the recent appointments, calls it ‘nepotism pro-max’ considering that the nation has six geopolitical zones. She added that the President’s attitude is unacceptable as it is in breach of the federal character principle.

“And you know what?”, she enthused, “the South-West has systematically taken all the juicy appointments in the country and the appointees are likely driving that same nepotism down the ladder in the various offices they are sent to head”.

Among the new appointees are; Mr Silas Agara (Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment), Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, (Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency), Mr Baffa Dan Agundi, (Director-General of the National Productivity Centre), Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, (Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority), Mr Saleh Abubakar, (Director-General National Agency for the Great Green Wall), Dr. Olufemi Adekanmbi, (Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project), Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, (Executive Secretary, National Lottery Trust Fund), Oluwaseun Faleye, (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund), Mrs. Mojisolaoluwa Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, (Executive Director (Operations), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund), Ms Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, (Director-General, National Pension Commission) and Mr Jobson Ewalefoh, (Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission).

Some of the appointments have also been criticized because of the characters involved.

The appointment of the former representative of Amuwo Odofin 1 Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, as the Executive Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), is one of such. She was accused of repackaging COVID-19 palliatives as birthday souvenirs in 2020.

Mrs. Alli-Macaulay
On social media, Nigerians have queried the lopsidedness of the appointments.

@HAHayatu said: “70% of appointments are now Yoruba and even in that 70% are Lagosians. Nepotism pro max. Buhari sef dey learn now.”

@EmmyPromise71 said: “What did President Tinubu want to achieve with nepotism in his government, for crying out loud? How can you make about 10 appointments in your government as the President of Nigeria and No Igbo men or women made the list? What kind of nepotism is this?”

@nonsook96346206: “10 appointments – 3 from the North and 7 from Yoruba. No single person from SS and SE that has over 95% of oil reserves and gas reserves. Tinubu should continue his yorubanization nepotism – history will remind him of it.”

@captainsterling said: “Na wa ooo for this administration’s defenders and supporters. I rise.”

@adeyanjudeji said: “Tinubu just appointing Yoruba people all over the place. I miss Buhari. Tinubu is the worst president ever.”

madridguy:

- Mr Silas Agara (Director-General of the National D - Nasarawa - North Central
- Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, (Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency) Katsina- North West
- Mr Baffa Dan Agundi, (Director-General of the National Productivity Centre) North West
- Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, (Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NALDA) Kwara - North Central
- Mr Saleh Abubakar, (Director-General National Agency for the Great Green Wall) North East
- Dr Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, (Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project) Bayelsa -South South
- Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, (Executive Secretary, National Lottery Trust Fund) Kogi - North Central
- Oluwaseun Faleye, (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund) South West
- Mrs. Mojisolaoluwa Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, (Executive Director (Operations), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund) Lagos - South West
- Ms Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, (Director-General, National Pension Commission) South West
- Mr Jobson Ewalefoh, (Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission) South South

Ritchiee:
We Igbos dont care because we didnt vote for him but we wail the most.

Okwyjesus:
Why is people worried?

Ask other tribes and they will tell you the Yorubas are very tribalistic and we all know that .

Tinubu can't be different..
It's in their blood

Mbanda:
Will that stop your tribe from shouting "ebinpawa"?

YorubaNiBaba:
Will that also stop ur people from killing and selling their children cuz of food

EreluRoz:
We Igbos don't care

helinues:
Go to court

Mr Silas Agara (Director-General of the National D - Nasarawa - North central
Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, (Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency) Katsina- North west
Mr Baffa Dan Agundi, (Director-General of the National Productivity Centre) North west
Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, (Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NALDA) Kwara - North Central
Mr Saleh Abubakar, (Director-General National Agency for the Great Green Wall) North east
Dr Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, (Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project) Bayelsa -south south
Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, (Executive Secretary, National Lottery Trust Fund) Kogi - North Central
Oluwaseun Faleye, (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund) South west
Mrs. Mojisolaoluwa Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, (Executive Director (Operations), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund) Lagos - South west
Ms Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, (Director-General, National Pension Commission) south west
Mr Jobson Ewalefoh, (Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission) south south

seunmsg:


Dear Good2go1,
Please be guided and stop lying.

EreluRoz:
We Igbos don't care

helinues:
Go to court

Okwyjesus:
Why is people worried?

Ask other tribes and they will tell you the Yorubas are very tribalistic and we all know that .

Tinubu can't be different..
It's in their blood

DaddyJapan:


Might is right bah?

I don't want to see tears or hear about your indignation, when the boot is on someone else's foot.

Esama:
You are 100% caring even because of this you want to commit suicide reason why you guys are crying over the internet.

Ritchiee:
We Igbos dont care because we didnt vote for him but we wail the most.

seunmsg:


Dear Good2go1,
Please be guided and stop lying.

TopBanter:


Lol. Joker. People call the USA all sorts of names. Yet everyone wants to relocate to "the land of opportunities".

People disparage Americans all the time yet how many Americans seek anything from them rather than the other way round?

Now replace USA and Americans with SW and Yorubas. After that do your worst. Same as detractors can't do sh1t to the USA and Americans is the same as hateful Igbos like you can't do nada to the SW and Yorubas who don't need you for anything.

If Yorubas are so offensive then sideline them, leave their land and stay away from the SW. Stop talking emptily. Take action and let's see who suffers.