The Presidency has dismissed allegations of lopsided appointments under President Bola Tinubu, describing the claim by Senator Ali Ndume as hypocritical and misleading.

In a reaction posted on Tuesday via his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Borno South senator is “allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics.”

Onanuga’s response comes after Ndume accused President Tinubu of favouring certain regions in his recent appointments, sparking debates across political circles.

“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.

“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments”, Onanuga wrote.

He pointed out that the Chairman of NNPC Limited, who was appointed by President Tinubu, hails from Ndume’s own senatorial district in Borno State.

“If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?” he queried.

The presidential aide accused Ndume of repeatedly engaging in populist rhetoric without regard for verifiable facts.

“His habit of firing half-baked criticisms – only to be contradicted by facts – proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism,” he added.

Onanuga reaffirmed the President’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying Tinubu’s appointments are based on merit, integrity, and national spread.

“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations,” he said.

He urged the senator to “elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism,” warning that such behaviour was “a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator.”

By Eric Elezuo

The Presidency has announce that President Bola Tinubu will be departing Abuja to (Wednesday) for Paris, France, on a ‘short working visit’.

A statement to the effect, signed and released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, was however silent on the shape of international relationship the working visiting the president was embarking on will take, but noted that Tinubu will use the ‘retreat’ to review his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones, as well as review progress of ongoing reforms.

While acknowledging that the president will spend ‘about a fortnight’ on the trip, the statement added he would supervise administration while away.

The statement in details

PRESIDENT TINUBU TO EMBARK ON WORKING VISIT TO PARIS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart for Paris, France, today on a short working visit.

During the visit, the President will appraise his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones.

He will also use the retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.

This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year.

Recent economic strides reinforce the President’s commitment to these efforts, as evidenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria reporting a significant increase in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion—a testament to the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023 when net reserves were $3.99 billion.

While away, President Tinubu will remain fully engaged with his team and continue to oversee governance activities.

He will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight.

President Bola Tinubu has sacked the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari.

Tinubu also dissolved its board, removing the Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on information and strategy, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

Onanuga said Tinubu invoked his powers under section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to carry out the sweeping reconstitution, citing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC”.

He announced that Tinubu has now approved a new 11-man board, which has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.

According to the statement, “Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.

“Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central.

“President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.

“Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”

He added said that all the appointments are effective today, April 2.