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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has described Senator Ali Ndume’s comments alleging ethnic bias in the President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments as “hypocritical” and “selective,” accusing him of ignoring key facts for political theatrics.
The lawmaker maker representing Borno South had accused President Tinubu’s administration of making lopsided political appointments favouring his Yoruba ethnic group, when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV’s ‘Prime Time’ on Monday.
Ndume alleged that Tinubu had been unfair to other parts of the country in the appointments he made so far.
But the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle @aonanuga1956, said: “Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception. While he grandstands as a moral authority on equity, he failed to mention that two of his kinsmen were recently appointed to top roles in NNPC Limited. The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, hails from Ndume’s own senatorial district.”
The presidential aide dismissed Ndume’s accusations as part of a pattern of “headline-chasing” and “rabble-rousing,” alleging that the senator often makes unfounded statements that are later disproven.
He reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, stating that appointments under the current administration are guided by merit, integrity, and national balance.
“The President’s appointments are – and will continue to be – based on merit, geographical spread, and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” he said.
He called on Ndume to “elevate public discourse” and desist from what was described as “misinformation and baseless criticism.”
In a separate reaction, Senator Sunday Karimi, chairman, Senate Services Committee, also urged Ndume to focus more on pressing issues such as insecurity rather than “play to the gallery.”
Karimi, in a statement in Lokoja, expressed surprise at Ndume’s claims, advising him to focus on more pressing issues like the nation’s insecurity.
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He expressed surprise that Ndume, a former Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, often chose to “play to the gallery” by leaving “real developmental challenges like the insecurity confronting Nigeria, to promote sentiments.”
Kogi-West Senator cited the devastation caused to Nigeria’s existence by Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade.
According to him, it cost the nation “over 50 percent of its earnings” in recent years in counter-terrorism spending.
Karimi urged Ndume to redirect his energy towards finding local solutions to the insurgency, rather than criticizing the government.
“Over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s earnings in the last few years is being spent on fighting insurgency.
“Rather than playing to the gallery and criticising the government, Senator Ndume as a leader of his people should go back home, liaise with his people on solving Boko Haram problems. Insecurity has a local solution,” he said.
Karimi highlighted his efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes in Kogi-West by citing a notable example.
He said he facilitated the construction of a Military Base in Egbe Town, Yagba West Local Government, and provided additional logistics to support security initiatives.
Karimi stressed that the proactive approach demonstrated his commitment to addressing the region’s security challenges.
“The country has lost a lot of his soldiers and trillions of Naira fighting insurgents in Senator Ndume’s Senatorial district in the last decades. In fact, I lost one of the young officers, a captain in the Nigerian Army from my Senatorial District serving in his community three weeks ago. Lots of young Nigerians had lost their lives fighting to defend the territorial integrity of our country. Those are more serious and compelling issues threatening our collective existence,” he added.
