The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his latest round of federal appointments, particularly those involving prominent northerners. The party described the move as a belated and disingenuous attempt to regain lost political ground in Northern Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, slammed the appointments as “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” — a reference to Tinubu’s trademark political maneuvers from his Lagos power base.
One of the notable names among the newly appointed is Mohammed Babangida, son of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. However, the ADC insists the appointments amount to little more than “political panic management.”
“You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause because you suddenly remembered on the twenty-sixth month that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” the statement read.
The ADC further described the move as “a desperate, cynical attempt to buy back the trust that President Tinubu has spent squandering, particularly in Northern Nigeria.”
According to the opposition party, what the region needs is not last-minute appointments, but genuine inclusion, respect, and equitable governance.
“These appointments are nothing but a frantic attempt to bandage the gaping wounds inflicted on Northern Nigeria by over a year of calculated neglect, presidential arrogance, and unprecedented nepotism,” Abdullahi added.
The ADC reiterated that Northern Nigerians are not a political commodity to be traded with tokens of power.
It urged the President to stop politicizing national unity and instead focus on addressing the core challenges confronting the region and the nation at large.
