Activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over the reported six-month extension granted to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, describing the decision as “wrong-headed policy” that undermines institutional growth and destroys career progression in the public service.
Sowore, in a strongly worded reaction, argued that the extension reflects a deeper governance problem where personal discretion is allegedly being placed above established rules of service, warning that such moves could discourage younger officers who spend years building careers within structured government institutions.
He maintained that the extension of service tenure beyond retirement threshold or statutory exit timelines—depending on the circumstances of the Customs leadership—sets a dangerous precedent for federal agencies, especially in a system already struggling with morale, promotion bottlenecks, and political interference.
According to him, the decision is not just administrative but symbolic of what he described as a gradual erosion of merit-based advancement within Nigeria’s civil and paramilitary structures.
The controversy has further sparked debates within governance and policy circles, with critics arguing that extending the tenure of senior officials may stabilize leadership in the short term but risks blocking upward mobility for mid-level officers waiting for promotion opportunities.
Supporters of the policy, however, are said to believe that continuity at the top of strategic agencies like Customs is necessary to sustain ongoing reforms, improve revenue generation, and maintain operational consistency.
The Nigeria Customs Service leadership under Nigeria Customs Service has not officially responded to Sowore’s comments at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to face mixed reactions over key appointments and tenure-related decisions across security and revenue-generating agencies, with opposition voices insisting that reforms must not come at the expense of institutional fairness and career stability.
The debate is expected to intensify as civil society groups and policy analysts weigh in on whether the extension serves national interest or reinforces a pattern of discretionary governance that weakens bureaucratic systems in the long run.