The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent wave of political appointments, describing it as a desperate and belated attempt to regain the trust of Northern Nigerians.
In a statement signed by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, and made available to Naija News, the party dismissed the appointments as “too little, too late.”
ADC Accuses Tinubu of Neglecting the North
According to the ADC, Tinubu’s government marginalized the North for more than two years, only to now remember that “Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State.”
The statement read:
“For over a year, this government turned a blind eye as bandits terrorised northern villages, farmers abandoned their lands, and rural economies collapsed under the weight of an ill-planned fuel subsidy removal.
Now, faced with rising public anger and the growing strength of a formidable opposition coalition in the North and across the country, President Tinubu suddenly starts announcing appointments outside Lagos.”
“Tokenism Is Not Inclusion,” ADC Warns
The ADC stressed that symbolic gestures cannot replace real governance or address the deep wounds caused by what it called “presidential arrogance and unprecedented nepotism.”
“Every major decision, from subsidy removal to political appointments, has sidelined the North. Now that the consequences are clear, these new appointments are offered like consolation prizes.
But Northerners, as co-owners of this republic, see through it. Tokenism is not inclusion, and symbolism is not governance.”
Calls for Genuine National Inclusion
The ADC urged President Tinubu to drop what it described as “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” — a reference to Tinubu’s political base in Lagos — and instead pursue real national integration based on:
Meaningful consultation
Equitable policies
True federal character representation
“You cannot patch a broken roof with press releases and photo ops,” the statement added.
“And you certainly cannot restore lost trust by handing out titles instead of showing a real commitment to nation-building.”
