President Bola Tinubu’s administration has appointed just one official from Nigeria’s South-East (predominantly Igbo) region to head one of the nation’s 22 security agencies, according to a breakdown shared by Tinubu’s media aide, Sunday Dare. This breakdown reveals a significant imbalance, with appointments heavily favoring the North-West, South-West, and North-Central regions.
Dare posted the list on X (formerly Twitter) in an effort to counter growing concerns that Tinubu is favoring his South-West region in security appointments. “Facts do not lie. Below, we see laid bare the facts about the regional outlook of President Tinubu’s appointments within 20 security agencies,” Dare stated, sharing a document listing each agency, its head, and their respective regions.
“The label of him favoring Yorubas in the security setup does not fit. Nigeria, we hail thee!” Dare added.
The document shows that eight security agency heads are from the North-East, while Tinubu’s South-West region holds five positions. North-Central has four, North-West has three, and both the South-South and South-East regions received only one appointment each.
Despite Dare’s attempts to portray Tinubu as a leader with a balanced approach, the document has sparked criticism, with many Nigerians accusing the government of marginalizing the South-East and South-South regions. Secessionist sentiments persist in the South-East, where residents often voice frustration over perceived neglect and lack of representation in national governance.
The lopsided appointments have drawn widespread criticism on social media, with users expressing outrage over the perceived exclusion of certain regions. One user, @improjectP, commented, “Out of 22 appointments, SS and SE got one each, and you have the guts to defend it. You are truly shameless.” Another user, @OfficialEdoOsasB, remarked, “South-South that feeds the nation gets one appointment.”
