Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has praised President Bola Tinubu for recent appointments to the boards of key federal agencies, describing them as a step toward addressing concerns in the northern region. However, the Borno South senator called on the president to ensure greater representation for the South-East in future appointments to promote national inclusivity.

The new appointees, announced over the weekend, include Muhammad Babangida, son of former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, as Chairman of the revamped Bank of Agriculture. Other notable appointments include Lydia Kalat Musa as Chairperson of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, Jamilu Wada Aliyu as Chairman of the National Educational Research and Development Council, Yahuza Ado Inuwa as head of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and Sanusi Musa as Chairman of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Additional appointees include Professor Al-Mustapha Aliyu as Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, Sanusi Garba Rikiji as Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Abdulmumini Aminu-Zaria as Executive Director of the Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, and Tomi Somefun as Director-General of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission.

Analysis of the appointments shows a regional distribution, with Niger State’s Muhammad Babangida representing the North-Central, three appointees from Kano, two from Kaduna, and one each from Sokoto and Zamfara in the North-West. Oyo State in the South-West is represented by Tomi Somefun. Notably, the South-East was absent from the list, prompting Ndume’s call for correction.

Ndume commended Tinubu for the appointments, noting they build on last May’s allocation of 12 key agency positions to northerners, which he described as a response to regional concerns. “These appointments reassure the North, particularly its elders, that President Tinubu is a responsive leader who listens to genuine agitation,” Ndume said. “They show he is not promoting an agenda to alienate the region that supported him in the last elections.”

However, Ndume expressed concern over the lack of South-East representation, calling it a “big misstep” that violates the Federal Character Principle enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. “The narrative that the South-East is abandoned must not be allowed to fester,” he said. “Every part of the country deserves a sense of belonging in a federation. We hope subsequent nominations will reflect broader inclusiveness by accommodating more individuals from the South-East.”

The Presidency has yet to respond to Ndume’s appeal, but the issue is likely to spark further discussions on equitable representation in Nigeria’s governance structure as Tinubu’s administration progresses.