Northern Elders Express Concerns Over Tinubu’s ‘Lopsided’ Appointments, Seek Reconstitution of Census Committee
Amid growing political tension, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has voiced strong criticism over what it describes as a pattern of exclusion and imbalance in federal appointments under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement released Friday in Abuja, NEF’s spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, accused the president of concentrating key appointments disproportionately in the South-West, a move the Forum says is eroding national trust and unity.
According to NEF, since Tinubu took office in 2023, the pattern of appointments has shown “systemic neglect” of other geopolitical zones, particularly the North, South-East, and South-South. The Forum argues that this not only breaches the federal character principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), but also undermines the democratic values of fairness and inclusiveness.
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A recent flashpoint for the group’s concern is the composition of the National Census Committee. NEF contends that the panel is not only skewed in favour of the South-West but appears “deliberately structured to marginalise” other regions.
“The conduct of a national census is too sensitive and vital to the country’s future to be managed in a way that excludes key segments of the population,” the Forum stated. “Such exclusion risks delegitimising the process and stirring deeper distrust among Nigerians.”
NEF is calling for the immediate reconstitution of the National Census Committee to reflect a balanced representation of all six geopolitical zones. Additionally, it is demanding a comprehensive audit and redistribution of appointments across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to uphold constitutional fairness.
The group warned that sustained exclusionary governance could escalate national grievances and foster instability.
“Unity in diversity is not a slogan—it is a constitutional imperative,” NEF said. “Nigeria needs a leadership that embraces equity, not one that aggravates division through selective empowerment.”
The statement concludes with a call for President Tinubu to rise above sectional politics and govern in a manner that restores confidence across all regions of the country.
By PRNigeria
