Jesutega Onokpasa, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for favoring Lagos-based politicians in his appointments, suggesting that they lack the competence to effectively lead the country. In a video posted on X and viewed by SaharaReporters, Onokpasa expressed his disappointment, stating that while Tinubu successfully mobilized Lagosians to develop Lagos, he cannot replicate this strategy on a national level by relying solely on Lagosians to address Nigeria’s challenges.
Onokpasa argued, “Mr. President, many of us supported you because we believed in your track record and what you achieved in Lagos. However, the approach that worked in Lagos cannot be applied to the entire country. Bringing Lagosians to Abuja to fix Nigeria is not feasible. With all due respect, these Lagosians you’ve appointed are ineffective. Specifically, your Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, is the most ineffective of them all. You need to dismantle this team and rebuild it with a truly national core.”
This sentiment echoes concerns expressed last year by other members of the APC, who accused President Tinubu of making lopsided appointments that favor the South West region, particularly the Yoruba ethnic group. The group, Progressive Change Ambassadors of Nigeria (PCAN), led by Executive Director Alhaji Abdulkareem Ubaydah and Secretary Muhammad Rabiu Awwal E, released a statement urging the President to address the perceived imbalance.
The statement read, “Mr. President, we write to you as concerned citizens and members of the APC to express our deep concern about the apparent imbalance in your political appointments so far. A significant majority of these appointments have been from your Southwest geopolitical zone, especially from your ethnic group, the Yorubas, at the expense of other qualified and competent individuals from across the country.”
The group emphasized that this perceived favoritism has led to feelings of alienation and resentment among Nigerians from other regions. While acknowledging the President’s right to appoint individuals he trusts, they stressed the importance of national unity and inclusiveness, reminding him that he is the President of all Nigerians, not just the Yorubas of the Southwest. PCAN called on Tinubu to ensure a more balanced approach in future appointments.