Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed concerns over the pattern of appointments made by President Bola Tinubu since assuming office, accusing him of favoring close associates from Lagos.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, El-Rufai alleged that Tinubu’s appointments lacked balance, emphasizing that the issue should not be attributed to the entire South-West but to the president’s personal choices. “President Tinubu’s appointments are quite imbalanced,” he stated.
“The president’s appointments are not being made because the appointees are Yoruba, but because they are his own boys, and most of the appointments do not even reasonably cover the South-West.”
“Don’t blame the South-West for what one individual is doing. These appointments are not about ethnicity but rather about loyalty—most of the appointees are his close associates, primarily from Lagos.”
El-Rufai cautioned against generalizing the president’s actions as a regional issue, urging Nigerians to focus on individual accountability rather than blaming an entire ethnic group.
“People should stop confusing the truth. The appointments are not balanced. That is undeniable,” he continued. “However, this is not a Yoruba issue. Please do not punish the Yorubas for this, just as the North was previously blamed for the actions of military rulers.”
He further urged President Tinubu to address the concerns and make necessary adjustments, warning of growing discontent, particularly in the northern region.
“It’s not too late to correct this,” El-Rufai advised. “There is palpable anger in the North, and the president needs to take action.”
