Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) has warned President Bola Tinubu over what he described as lopsided political appointments, saying they violate the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Ndume, who spoke on Tuesday during an interview with Arise TV, said the appointments made so far do not reflect the country’s diversity as required by law.
“The Constitution is very clear. Section 143 states that political appointments should reflect federal character. That is not the case here,” he said.
He distinguished between professional and political appointments, saying while the former require expertise, the latter must be inclusive to ensure national unity.
“You cannot appoint someone who is not a soldier as Chief of Army Staff or someone who is not a police officer as IGP. But for political appointments, the Constitution insists on fairness,” he said.
The senator warned that if the imbalance is not corrected, it may have political consequences for the administration.
“These things can boomerang if they are not corrected,” he said.
Ndume said his comments were not personal but part of his oversight duties as a lawmaker.
“As a Nigerian, I have the right to voice this out. I am in the National Assembly to provide oversight on the president’s actions. This is not personal,” he said.
He said some persons close to the president had focused on attacking him instead of addressing the issues raised.
“Tinubu’s attack dogs will attack me and not the message,” he said.
Ndume added that public office holders must be accountable to Nigerians and to God.
“At the end of it all, each one of us will stand before God and account for what we were responsible for,” he said.
