71 from North, 63 from South: Presidency defends equity in political appointments

Facing criticism from some politicians over alleged favouritism towards the South in his political appointments, the presidency has released a detailed list of appointments to counter these claims.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, President Bola Tinubu has appointed 71 individuals from the North and 63 from the South to key federal positions.

Dare shared this information on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, addressing ongoing concerns about regional imbalance.

He emphasised that the President remains dedicated to fairness, competence, and national unity, asserting that Tinubu’s decisions are not influenced by tribal or religious considerations.

He said, “People tend to isolate new appointments so far made by the President and examine them with a tribal lens,” Dare said. “But it is too early to conclude that appointments are lopsided. Tinubu has barely completed two years in office and there are still plenty more appointments coming.”

A further breakdown of the 63 southern appointments showed that the South-West leads with 26 appointees, followed by the South-South with 21, and the South-East with 16.

Dare also pointed to Tinubu’s time as Governor of Lagos State as proof of his detribalised nature, noting that his cabinet then included individuals from across the country, regardless of origin.

“As President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the same man who is not blinded by the cloak of tribe or religion,” he said.

He maintained that a more expansive and unbiased analysis would show that the Tinubu administration is on the right path with respect to federal character and national inclusion.

Recall that Senator Ali Ndume has severally criticised President Tinubu of favouritism and nepotism by appointing southerners than northerners into key positions.

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