Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s political appointments.
The Senator stated that they violate the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, the lawmaker said although the president has the right to make appointments, such actions must reflect the diversity of the country as mandated by Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The Constitution is very clear when you look at it vis-à-vis the appointments made so far.
“These are political appointments and Section 143 clearly states that political appointments should reflect the federal character. That is not the case here,” Ndume said.
He explained that while professional appointments, such as the Chief of Army Staff or the Inspector General of Police, require specific qualifications, political appointments are expected to be more inclusive to ensure national balance and unity.
“You can’t appoint someone who is not a soldier as Chief of Army Staff or someone who is not a police officer as the IGP.
“But for political appointments, the Constitution insists on fairness, and that’s being violated,” he added.
Ndume maintained that his position was not driven by personal interests or vendetta but by his responsibility as a lawmaker to speak out against irregularities.
“As a Nigerian, I have the right to voice this out. In fact, that’s why I’m in the National Assembly—to provide oversight on the president’s actions. This is not personal,” he said.
“I think I have better personal relationships with most of the people around President Tinubu than those attacking me.
“In the North, if you count five people who are close to Mr. President, Ndume is one of them. But that doesn’t stop me from speaking the truth.”
He expressed concerns that unless the president addresses the imbalance, the consequences may come back to haunt the administration in the future.
“These things can boomerang at a certain period of time if they are not corrected,” he warned. “All I’m doing is drawing the president’s attention to these infractions.”
Ndume also lamented that instead of addressing the message, people tend to attack the messenger. “Tinubu’s attack dogs will attack me and not the message,” he said.
The senator emphasized the moral obligation of public officeholders to be accountable, not just to Nigerians but ultimately to God.
“At the end of it all, each one of us will stand before God and account for what we were responsible for. That’s why I’m saying this,” he concluded.
The remarks come amid growing criticism of the president’s appointments, many of which have been described as skewed and non-inclusive, further deepening regional and ethnic tensions in the country.
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