The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his recent string of appointments, accusing him of trying to buy back the trust of Northern Nigerians after months of what it describes as “deliberate neglect.”
In a statement released Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said Tinubu’s move was nothing more than “political panic management,” not a sincere attempt at inclusive governance.
“You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause because you suddenly remembered on the twenty-sixth month that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” the statement read.
The ADC claimed that the North had been sidelined in critical national decisions since Tinubu assumed office, pointing to the absence of Northern voices in major policy actions and cabinet decisions.
“For over a year, this government turned a blind eye as bandits terrorised villages in the North, as our farmers abandoned their land, and as rural economies crumbled under the weight of poorly thought-out fuel subsidy removal.
“Now, under the rising heat of public discontent, and with the emergence of a formidable opposition coalition gaining traction in the North and across the country, President Tinubu suddenly remembers that there are Nigerians to appoint into positions outside his Lagos,” Abdullahi stated.
The party described the recent appointments as “consolation prizes,” claiming they lack depth and sincerity.
“But Northerners, as co-owners of our great federal republic, know better than to be deceived by these token appointments. They see through President Tinubu’s actions — and can sense that this is not genuine. Tokenism is not inclusion, and symbolism is not governance,” Abdullahi added.
Calling for a shift from “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics,” the ADC urged Tinubu to pursue national unity by embracing genuine consultation, equitable policy distribution, and adherence to federal character principles.
“You cannot patch a broken roof with press releases and photo-ops. And you certainly cannot restore the trust that you have lost with the public by pretending that titles are a substitute for genuine commitment to nation-building,” the party concluded.
