Presidency rejects claims of lopsided appointments, says Ndume’s allegations hypocritical

The Nigerian Presidency has vehemently rejected allegations of biased appointments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, labeling the claims made by Senator Ali Ndume as both hypocritical and misleading.

In a statement released on Tuesday via his verified X account (@aonanuga1956), the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Ndume’s accusations, calling the Borno South senator “allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics.”

The remarks came in response to Ndume’s claims that President Tinubu’s recent appointments have disproportionately favored certain regions, sparking widespread debate across the country’s political landscape.

“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.

READ ALSO: Ndume slams Tinubu’s sectional appointments, says they breach constitution

“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments”, Onanuga wrote.

He pointed out that the Chairman of NNPC Limited, who was appointed by President Tinubu, hails from Ndume’s own senatorial district in Borno State.

“If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?” he queried.

The presidential aide accused Ndume of repeatedly engaging in populist rhetoric without regard for verifiable facts.

“His habit of firing half-baked criticisms—only to be contradicted by facts—proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism,” he added.

Onanuga reaffirmed the President’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying Tinubu’s appointments are based on merit, integrity, and national spread.

“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations,” he said.

He urged the senator to “elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism,” warning that such behaviour was “a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator.”