There are indications that President Bola Tinubu might have copied the template of his predecessor in office, Muhammadu Buhari in the appointment of persons into key offices in the country.

Nigerians, from ethnic leaders to party chieftains, who spoke with Sunday Telegraph in different interviews, in their reactions to the recent nomination of former Chairman, CitiBank Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), said President Tinubu has transferred what he did in Lagos to the National level.

A Source, a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who did want his name in print due to the nature of the matter, said: “It is the rise of the Lagos Mafia. “What people should know is that Asiwaju is transferring what he did in Lagos to the National, forgetting that Lagos is just a minute representation of Nigeria.

“When you now situate and surround yourself with people who are your friends, your political associates, your mentees and your godsons, it is not right. We are seeing the Buharification of the government of Asiwaju Tinubu. “He is not being broad minded and is he now saying that everybody who wants to serve must be from Lagos?

Look at those who are holding critical positions in his administration – The IGP (Inspector General of Police) had worked with him before; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy(Wale Edun) had worked with him; the Minister of Transportation and Blue Economy is his nephew; the Chief of Staff had worked with him.

People are uncomfortable with him. “Some party members and certain people in APC are becoming uncomfortable with the way of appointments to key positions are being skewed, not in favour of his Yoruba ethnic group, but in favour of the so called Lagos Mafia.

“Look at those who came from Lagos. They are those who at one time or the other, had worked with him. His kitchen cabinet too is made up of those telling him and advising him are mainly made up of those people whom he had worked with in Lagos – Alake, Wale Edun, the FIRS boss and the newly appointed CBN Governor.

“This is not good for the President. He should be broad minded and try to separate governance from friends, associates and acolytes. If you say it was bad under Buhari, it is still bad under Tinubu. He should be more statesman like in the way he picks those who work with him and there are certain things that are beneath the President to be dabbling into.”

S’ West getting all sensitive, “lucrative” appointments – ACF

To the National Publicity Secretary of the apex Northern socio-cultural and political organization, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, President Bola Tinubu has given all the sensitive and lucrative appointments to persons from the South West part of the country.

However, Muhammad-Baba, a professor of Sociology, who told Sunday Telegraph that he was speaking in his personal capacity because the Northern group was yet to deliberate on the issue, said the appointments so far were not ideal in a “deeply fractious federation” like Nigeria.

The ACF spokesman also accused the immediate past administration of Former President Muhammad Buhari of also indulging in sectional appointment, but added that it is not an excuse as someone has to break the circle of such appointments.

Also reacting to the development, Elder Anthony Sani, a former General Secretary of the ACF, told Sunday Telegraph such appointments, seen since the coming of the present administration was against President Tinubu’s pledge to unite the country. Meanwhile, Muhammad- Baba said: “From all indications, most, if not all sensitive or “lucrative” assignments are being given to persons of Southwest extraction.

It’s not ideal in a deeply fractious federation like ours. But the Constitution gives absolute power to the President to make such appointments.” He said: “A part of the Constitution directs that such appointments must reflect the social diversity of the country in terms of “balancing” of place of origin, indigene ship, ethnicity, religion, etc.

But the provision of the Constitution does not say exactly how such balancing mechanism ought to work. In the light of the ambivalence, therefore, a level of manipulation may be expected.” According to him: “The immediate preceding regime of General Buhari had behaved similarly. So, there’s a precedence, even if unpleasant.

Obviously, someone, at some point, needs to break the circle of appointing kinsmen to positions of power and authority in the country. Such break is for the sake of equity, if not equality, inclusion, and national integration.

“I’m not satisfied as I expect better. Still, as I pointed out earlier in a different interview, given the fait accompli of the situation, we pray to make the best out of the unpleasant with it. It is not so much who is appointed and what ethno- religious and other characteristics they wear, as to their performance once in office.”

Also speaking on the issue, Sani said: “It is true that President Bola Tinubu has skewed appointments to his buddies in the South West, which some peo- ple believe run against his pledge to heal and unite the nation.

“It may well be that he wants people who are not only competent but also trustworthy and loyal to help him deliver on the promise of electoral mandate. The president may be of the view that it does not matter the colour of the cat, provided it can catch the rats.

“But given the fissiparous tendencies and centrifugal forces which come with the diversity of the country/by way of ethnicity, religion, region as well as the fact that national resources are somewhat scarce-the president may need to consider the import of the statement that governance is art of balancing competing demands among constituent parts and among the socioeconomic sectors.

“Fair share of access to national resources such as appointment/appointments, sit- ing of projects and distribution of contracts should be taken seriously, lest elbow-throwing grievance groups clamouring for government preferment take advantage of the skewed distribution and heat up the polity by alleging the promise to heal and unite the nation rests on shaking ground.”

Tinubu should avoid nepotism, treat every region equally – MBF

Also weighing in on the mat- ter, President, Middle Belt Forum ( MBF), Dr Pogu Bitrus, charged President Tinubu to avoid acts of nepotism and favouritism in the appointment of persons into key positions in strategic government institutions, agencies and parastatals in the country.

Bitrus, who was reacting to the hue and cry trailing some of the appointments made by the President, urged Tinubu to abide by the Nigerian Constitution, which requires him to treat every section of the country equally and without fear or favour.

According to Bitrus, in constituting a cabinet, the President is required by the Constitution to appoint a minister from every state and thereafter, exercise his discretion fairly in appointing additional ministers from states and the six geo- political zones in the country.

He said that on the other appointments, the President is also expected to promote balance and fairness by making sure that no ethnic, religious or regional group is unduly favoured to the detriment of the others.

He said: “But if President Bola Tinubu is doing the same thing that Buhari did during his time, it is just like saying that Nigeria has not become a nation.

“We are just nation states within a geographical space and whenever one ethnic nationality is in power, they will just play their game the way they want to, not minding how the rest of us feel. Buhari did that, we cried out. Now, Tinubu is doing it. So, it is just a pointer to tell us that we have not become a nation yet.

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