The Presidency has fired back at Senator Ali Ndume over his recent remarks alleging lopsided federal appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the senator’s comments as hypocritical and misleading.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, took to his verified X handle on Tuesday, April 8, to respond to Ndume’s televised criticism, which questioned the ethnic balance of Tinubu’s recent key appointments.
In a strongly worded rebuttal, Onanuga accused Ndume of selective outrage, noting that the Borno South senator failed to acknowledge that two of his kinsmen had recently secured prominent positions within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
“The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, is from Ndume’s senatorial district,” Onanuga wrote. “If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?”
The presidential aide described Ndume as a “rabble-rouser” who frequently peddles “half-baked criticisms” and engages in “headline-chasing” rather than offering factual or constructive feedback on national issues.
“Ndume has proven time and time again that he is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics,” Onanuga stated. “His habit of stoking divisive narratives does a disservice to national unity.”
Onanuga further emphasized President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusivity in governance, adding that federal appointments under the current administration are guided by principles of merit, integrity, geographical balance, and competence—not ethnic bias.
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“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations,” he said.
The Presidency also called on Senator Ndume to elevate the tone of public discourse and refrain from what it described as “misinformation and baseless criticism.”
“This is a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator,” Onanuga concluded.
Senator Ndume has yet to respond to the statement as of press time.