A group of young people from the northern region of Nigeria have called on President Bola Tinubu not to repeat what they consider biased appointments, similar to those of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
The youths, organized under the banner of the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF), acknowledged that northerners have no grounds to criticize Tinubu’s perceived ‘unbalanced’ appointments. However, they expressed their opinion that the country should not continue down the same path.
Certain northern leaders have criticized President Tinubu for allegedly favoring the southern part of the country in his selection of appointees. For instance, Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi claimed that Tinubu had appointed more Southern Christians to key positions while neglecting northerners who, he asserted, had supported him in gaining power.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Sunday, the National President of NYLF, Elliot Afiyo, pointed out that Tinubu seems to be perpetuating the perceived pattern of unbalanced appointments inherited from Buhari.
Afiyo revealed that from 2015 to 2023, Buhari’s administration had created a situation where 80 percent of appointments favored the north, while only 20 percent favored the south.
However, he urged Tinubu not to follow in Buhari’s footsteps when choosing his appointees, stressing that the country should not persist in making the same mistakes.
He noted that previous Nigerian leaders, since the country’s independence, have engaged in biased appointments, often favoring their own regions over others.
The youth leader pointed out that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had attempted to reduce the imbalance when he returned to power in 1999. However, Buhari had increased the gap to 20/80 in favor of the north. Afiyo also noted that the northerners who were said to have been appointed by Buhari were not necessarily from the northern region.
In conclusion, Afiyo stated that northerners do not have the right to complain about the perceived uneven appointments. However, he emphasized the need to question whether the country can continue in this direction and called for a more balanced approach.