Pursuant to the provisions of Section 154 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), President Bola Tinubu is vested with the power to appoint chairpersons and board members of federal government agencies.
The president also has the authority to relieve any of the appointees of their portfolios. However, while it is at the discretion of Mr. President to hire and fire his appointees, that right ought to be exercised nobly, devoid of embarrassment to both the Presidency and the individual appointees.
Before forwarding a person’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation or appointing anyone to an office, it is incumbent upon the Presidency to conduct a thorough inquiry into such potential appointees.
We hold this view because the frequent withdrawal and replacement of a nominee, even after their screening and confirmation by the Senate, is not only ungrateful to the affected nominee but also detrimental to the Presidency.
Substituting names after confirmation, which has become the norm since the commencement of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s administration on 29 May 2023, casts doubt on the integrity of those whose initial confirmation or appointment has been withdrawn.
This action is akin to putting sugar in one’s mouth and then forcefully extracting it. Reversing confirmations and appointments amounts to disappointment at the brink of success, especially considering the outpouring of goodwill messages that typically accompany such confirmations or appointments.
Characteristically, like a thunderbolt out of the blue, Nigerians often hear breaking news from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announcing that the confirmation or appointment of Mr. A, B, and C has been nullified and replaced with Mr. X, Y, and Z.
Undoubtedly, these incessant cancellations reflect poorly on the image of the federal government. It paints the administration as one that is not fully in control of its appointments.
From what is evident, it seems that certain cabals dictate who gets nominated, appointed, and retained in their positions.
Surprisingly, the Senate, whose constitutional duty is to check the executive, has remained aloof regarding these recurring reversals. For the sake of integrity, why should the Senate, after affirming a candidate for a position, not question the abrupt withdrawal and replacement of that candidate by the Presidency? For once, can the Senate muster the courage to tell Mr. President in unambiguous terms that enough is enough of these withdrawals and replacements?
Before the latest reversal and replacement of Obinna Oriaku, who was duly ratified by the Senate as Abia State representative on the board of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), a legion of other individuals had earlier suffered similar humiliation.
Consider the long list to grasp the point being made. Six days after the names of two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioners were submitted to the Senate for approval, the Presidency requested the Upper Chamber to reverse the appointments.
On the day of her screening by the Senate, Maryam Shette was dropped and replaced by Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure. What an embarrassment! In July, the appointment of Idris Olorunnmbe as Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was cancelled and substituted with Tank Al-Makura.
Similarly, Asu Okang, who was appointed to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was replaced by Orok Otuk Duke, while the appointment of Rubby Onwudiwe as a board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was invalidated.
The reappointment in August 2025 of Muheeba Dankaka as Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) was reversed by the Presidency, with Ayo Omidiran taking her place.
Two days after his appointment as board Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Ibrahim Kashim Imam was removed. In the same vein, less than two weeks after the appointment of Rotimi Pedro as Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the designations of Stella Din-Jacob (Executive Director, News) and Karima Bello (Executive Director, Marketing) were quashed. Recently, former member Emeka Atuma, representing the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, experienced a similar fate when a press statement by Bayo Onanuga abruptly terminated his joy after he was appointed Board Chairman of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC). He was replaced by former Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu, Ph.D.
These cancellations and replacements do not bring comfort to the government or the affected individuals. The embarrassment is significant and should be addressed, especially by the Senate.
Members of the Upper Legislative Chamber should strive to prevent a situation where in one breath, someone is elevated to an office, and in the next, they are humiliated as if they are of questionable character. Let sanity prevail.
Isiakpu is a Public Relations Consultant
