In the realm of politics, the concept of “vested interest” has consistently played a significant role in both gaining and distributing political favors over time.
During the initial three months of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure, there was a fervent scramble for strategic positions. This frenzy was driven by the All-Progressive Congress (APC) and Tinubu’s close political associates, who vied for the rewards stemming from the 2023 general election victory.
Tinubu’s ascension followed a series of behind-the-scenes negotiations and vigorous lobbying of key figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress, with governors exerting substantial influence.
This vigorous political bargaining led to his selection of a Muslim running mate, a move aimed at appeasing the influential religious sentiments in the northern part of the country. This was in a political landscape marked by ethnic, tribal, and primordial divisions and the distribution of political favors.
In order not to be left out of the distribution of the spoils of victory, President Tinubu’s initial three months saw intense lobbying from those who believed that the most enticing portions of the rewards must be allocated to those who supported his rise, rather than considering the broader populace of economically challenged Nigerian voters.
The American political scientist and communications theorist Harold Lasswell once viewed politics as the interaction of actions that determines “Who gets what, when and how.”
Perhaps, this concept also influenced former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advice to his fellow countrymen against political indifference during his own presidency.
While striving to garner the support of the Yoruba community for his administration, Obasanjo warned that in the realm of governance, “If you are not at the center of action, you won’t know how the sharing formula was arrived at, and in extreme cases, you may not get your share.”
Many years after gaining independence, Nigeria continues to grapple with issues related to ethnicity, sectionalism, and nepotism in politics, which have hindered progress. Consequently, it is common to hear phrases like “he is one of us,” “our representative is in power now,” and the latest in Nigeria’s political vocabulary, “Emilokan,” which translates to “it is my turn” or “our turn.”
Nigeria’s fragile federal structure is characterized by skewed and uneven access to national resources. To counter this, Section 14(3) of the amended 1999 constitution established the federal character principle.
As per this section, the composition and conduct of the Government of the Federation and its agencies should reflect Nigeria’s federal character, promoting national unity and commanding loyalty. This aims to prevent the dominance of a few states, ethnic groups, or sections in the government and its agencies.
Additionally, Section 147(3) of the Nigerian Constitution mandates the federal government to ensure that ministerial appointments align with the number of states in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, upholding Nigeria’s federal character in public office appointments.
However, an evaluation of the President’s appointments thus far suggests that there has been no marked departure from the previous system, which often leans towards a “winner takes all” approach.
Expectedly, President Tinubu’s programme in his early days in office was controlled by a team of personal aides, close friends and family members who constituted a small “cabal” headed by Wale Edu, now Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Dele Alake, now Minister of Solid Minerals Development and later, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff ( CoS) to the President
Until the recent appointment of Ajuri Ngelale as the President’s Spokesman, his retinue of aides were largely made up of those from one ethnic group; that is in the President’s appointment of senior special assistants (SSAs), personal assistants (PAs), personal physician, and photographers.
The new appointees include Tunde Rahman, who has been designated SSA (Media); Abdulaziz Abdulaziz is SSA on Print Media, the SSA Political will be handled by Ibrahim Masari, Adekunle Tinubu is Personal Physician, Damilotun Aderemi is Senior Special Assistant (Private Secretary) and Toyin Subair – Senior Special Assistant (Domestic).
Senior Special Assistant (Digital/New Media) went to O’tega Ogra, Demola Oshodi is Senior Special Assistant (Protocol); Tope Ajayi – Senior Special Assistant (Media & Public Affairs); Yetunde Sekoni – Senior Special Assistant; Motunrayo Jinadu – Senior Special Assistant; Segun Dada – Special Assistant (social media); and Paul Adekanye – Special Assistant (Logistics).
Others are Friday Soton, Special Assistant (Housekeeping); Special Assistant (Catering) is Shitta-Bey Akande, Nosa Asemota as Special Assistant (Visual Communication) Personal Photographer and Kamal Yusuf will be the Personal Assistant for Special Duties to the president
The President had also named Adeniyi Adewale, a Yoruba man, as the Ag. Comptroller General of the Nigeria Custom Service, Kayode Egbetokun as the acting Inspector General of Police, the President also appointed Folashodun Shonubi, as the acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), following the removal of Godwin Emefiele.
In an effort to have full grip of the security forces at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President appointed his kinsman, Adebisi Onasanya, a Colonel, as the Commander, elite Guards Brigade, that provide personal protection for the President.
He also appointed Moshood Yusuf, a Lieutenant Colonel, as Commander, 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health, Olufunso Adebiyi has been redeployed to the State House and has assumed duties after handing over ceremony at the Ministry on Friday 11 August 2023.
Bisoye Coker-Odusote is the general manager/CEO of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA) who has been appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Director General (DG) of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Coker-Odusote had previously worked as a Special Adviser on Technology to President Tinubu, when he was the Governor of Lagos, from 1999-2007
On Friday, the President also named Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) for a term of four years.
All the above appointees are of the Yoruba stck.
Others include Auwalu Inuwa, Commander, 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State, Mohammed J. Abdulkarim, Commander, 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger and Olumide A. Akingbesote, as Commander, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja, all, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs.
Other Military Officers appointed in the Presidential Villa, include Isa Farouk Audu, (KN/14695), a Major, as the Commanding Officer, State House Artillery, Kazeem Sunmonu (N/16183), a Captain as Second-in-Command, State Ho Artillery, while Kamaru Hamzat (N/14656), also a Major, as the Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence.
This is just as TS Adeola (N/12860), a Major, takes over as Commanding Officer, State House Armament, A. Aminu (N/18578), a Lieutenant, as Second-in- Command, State House Armament.
The strength of South West lobbying power also reflected in the recent appointment of Ministers, as they got nine Ministers
This includes; Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Minister of State, Environment -Ishak Salako, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of The Economy
Wale Edun, Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Others are the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola
On the other hand, the South East was allocated five Ministries, including the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, Ministry of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Ministry of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy and Ministry of Works
David Umahi
The South-South had Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, Minister of Niger Delta Development
Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, Minister of State, (Gas) Petroleum Resources; Ekperipe Ekpo, Minister of State, ( Oil), Petroleum Resources; Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of Sports Development; John Enoh and that of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The North West also had nine Ministers, including Minister of Art, Culture and The Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, Minister of State, Education, Yusuf T. Sununu, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed M. Dangiwa
Others include Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development Abdullahi T. Gwarzo, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, Minister Of State, Federal Capital Territory, Mairiga Mahmud, Minister Of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello M. Goronto and a yet-to-be allocated Minister of Youth Development.
Similarly, the North East has the Minster of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Education, Tahir Maman, Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu A. Alkali, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf M. Tuggar, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidamand; Minister of State, Steel Development, U. Maigari Ahmadu.
The North Central got the Minister of State, Steel Development, Shuaibu A. Audu; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, and Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon B. Lalong.
Others are Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, add Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
These appointments were seen as a likely repeat of the former President Buhari’s era, which completely negated the expectations of a cross section of Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu administration would have first initiated a broad-based policy for national reconciliation to strengthen unity and gain acceptance.
2015, Buhari’s appointments, had attracted a widespread outcry, because, as many as 75percent of such appointees were Northerners.
Former Governor Samuel Ortom in a lecture in Enugu, saw those appointments as further helping to “balkanise” the fragile ethnic situation
A retired Military officer, Umar, once noted that Nigeria, under Buhari “became dangerously polarised and risks sliding into crisis on account of the lopsided appointments, which continue to give undue preference to some sections of the country over others.”
According to Suleiman Audu, an Abuja-based lawyer, “Nigerians had wanted the President to publicly acknowledge that the 2023 general election was badly flawed and move quickly to initiate policies for electoral reforms.”
He disclosed that Nigerians had wanted the President to carry out comprehensive reconciliatory programmes to unite the badly fractured social cohesion, resulting from the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s “years of misrule and highly nepotistic policies,” prioritise actions that would have given Nigerians the confidence that his administration has the interest of all Nigerians at the centre of his administration’s policies.
They also believe that the place to start is not by “wishing away” the election and asking for Nigerians’ support.
Audu, in his analysis, believes that the APC government and in particular, President Bola Tinubu, will however face a herculean task, given the process through which he emerged.
“There is no doubt that globally, many of Nigeria’s trading partners will be very cautious in dealing with him, based on the opinions of international observers on the outcome of the 2023 general election.
Audu, who believes that the world is now a global village, noted that only a strong policy initiative to revive the economy will help create the needed confidence in his administration
“He must also not make the mistake of bringing in those crooks who helped him to rig the election in the name of rewarding them.”
Auwal Ibrahim (Rafsanjani), executive director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, also counselled the President to accept that his election was flawed, adding that “like the late Yar’Adua, he must take urgent steps to heal the wounds arising from the conduct of 2023 election.
“Similar to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he should adopt a statesmanlike approach by acknowledging the flaws in his election and taking active steps to address the matter, such as forming the Justice Uwais Committee on Electoral Reforms.
By doing so, Nigerians would perceive his seriousness and his commitment to steering the nation in the right direction.”
Ibrahim emphasized that Nigeria is currently experiencing an unstable political environment, which, if not stabilized, would hinder progress in other sectors as well.
“Buhari’s past error in marginalizing those who didn’t support him in the 2015 election should not be repeated,” he stressed.
Ibrahim suggested that Tinubu should have distanced himself from individuals he categorizes as political “crooks and criminals.” He emphasized that the government should avoid turning into a platform for rewarding political hooligans and troublemakers in the guise of acknowledging political allies who aided his electoral victory.
By taking these measures, the government would acquire legitimacy and garner essential support.
“He must ensure that all appointees promptly disclose their assets upon assuming office. In addition, robust judicial reforms should be carried out, and a clear separation of powers among the three branches of government must be enforced,” he explained.
“Furthermore, comprehensive security reforms are essential. We cannot allow our law enforcement officers to protect wrongdoers and lawbreakers,” he concluded.
