1 week Ago By Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis
The Presidency, on Tuesday, came hard on the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, over his claim on lopsided appointments by President Bola Tinubu. Also on Tuesday, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District of Kogi State, Sunday Karimi, tackled Ndume over claims that the President’s political appointments breached the federal character principle of equity across the country’s regions. During an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, Ndume, a former Majority Leader of the Senate, accused the President of violating the constitutional requirement for balanced representation in government appointments.
“All I am saying is to call the attention of Mr President to such infractions so that it can be corrected; otherwise, you know, these things can boomerang at a certain period”, he stated. In a reaction, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called “lopsided appointments” by the President reeked of hypocrisy and selective perception. He said, “While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in the recent NNPC Limited top appointments.
“The chairman appointed by President Tinubu (Ahmadu Kida) 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?” The Presidency regretted that Ndume had proven time and time again that he was 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.
“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations. “He aims to harness our nation’s diverse strengths to achieve a common goal: building a prosperous Nigeria. Related News Tinubu’s appointments are merit-based, Presidency knocks Ndume Over 50% of Nigeria’s earnings spent combating insurgency – Senator Karimi Ndume faults Tinubu’s appointments, cites breach of federal character “The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, integrity, geographical spread and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” the statement added.
In a statement he signed, Karimi slammed Ndume for the open criticism of the All Progressives Congress and Tinubu. “Rather than playing to the gallery and criticising the government, Senator Ndume, as a leader of his people, should go back home and liaise with his people on solving Boko Haram problems. Insecurity has a local solution,” Karimi said.
He urged Ndume to focus more on pressing issues like insecurity instead of playing to the gallery. The Kogi lawmaker expressed dismay at Ndume’s claims, saying it cost the nation “over 50 per cent of its earnings” to continue its counter-terrorism fight. Karimi highlighted his efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes in Kogi West by facilitating the construction of a military base and providing additional logistics to support security initiatives.
“The country has lost a lot of its soldiers and trillions of Naira fighting insurgents in Senator Ndume’s senatorial district in the last decades. “In fact, I lost one of the young officers, a captain in the Nigerian Army from my senatorial district serving in his community three weeks ago. “Lots of young Nigerians had lost their lives fighting to defend the territorial integrity of our country.
“Those are more serious and compelling issues threatening our collective existence,” he added..
