Federal Character: Presidency Admits Error in Appointments List

The Presidency has issued an apology over errors in a list of political appointments released to counter claims of lopsidedness in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The list, meant to highlight the geographical spread of Tinubu’s appointments, was shared in response to criticism that the President had violated the principle of federal character. However, the release quickly drew fresh backlash, as key names including that of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila were noticeably missing.

Critics pointed out that the omission of such a prominent figure, particularly one from Tinubu’s own South-West region, weakened the credibility of the list and failed to fully represent the actual composition of appointments.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, acknowledged the errors and apologised. However, he did not offer an explanation for the exclusion of Gbajabiamila or clarify how the mistakes occurred.

The incident has reignited conversations around transparency, accuracy, and regional balance in federal appointments under the current administration.