The Presidency has slammed the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, over his comments that President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments are lopsided.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, Ndume said Tinubu’s appointments have not reflected the diversity mandated by section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
The Borno senator described the appointments as violations of the constitutional provision for federal character.
Responding to the lawmaker’s comments in a post shared via his X handle on Tuesday evening, Onanuga described Ndume’s criticism as “hypocritical” and “selective perception.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity stated that the lawmaker ignored key facts for political theatrics, accusing the Borno Senator of grandstanding as a moral authority on equity.
The presidential aide said Ndume forgot to mention during his interview that the president recently appointed two of his kinsmen to positions in Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Onanuga said, “Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments.
“The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, is from Ndume’s senatorial district. If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so “tribal,” how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?
“As a politician, Ndume has proven time and time again that he is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics. His habit of firing half-baked criticisms — only to be contradicted by facts — proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.”
The presidential media aide dismissed Ndume’s accusations as part of a pattern of “headline-chasing” and “rabble-rousing,” alleging that the Senator often makes unfounded statements that were later disproven.
Onanuga reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, stating that appointments under the current administration are guided by merit, integrity, and national balance.
“The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, geographical spread, and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” he said.
The presidential aide advised Ndume to “elevate public discourse” and desist from what was described as “misinformation and baseless criticism.”
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