By Ibrahim Danladi

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South senatorial district in the National Assembly, has expressed concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments, citing a breach of the federal character law.

Abaribe’s remarks come as Asari Dokubo also voices his dissatisfaction in a trending Tiktok video.

According to Abaribe, the federal character law, designed to ensure equitable distribution of appointments among the six geopolitical zones, appears to have been disregarded by both the Buhari administration and now the Tinubu administration.

He lamented that Tinubu’s appointments have followed a similar pattern to the previous administration, concentrating over 22 crucial positions within his kinsmen, which contradicts the principles of the federal character law.

In his words, “When Buhari began the trend of ethnically concentrated appointments, I was one of the first to raise concerns. Back in 2016, it was evident that Buhari was deviating from the norm by appointing individuals from his own ethnic and religious background.

“We argued that this was setting a problematic precedent for the country and repeatedly spoke out against it. We warned that this practice would have negative consequences for Nigeria.

“Several years later, we find ourselves in a situation where President Bola Tinubu’s government, which we had hoped would rectify the damage, is actually intensifying the same approach as Buhari.

“There’s an Igbo saying that a bad practice, when sustained, becomes a tradition. Buhari’s concentration of appointments in his region became a culture, and now Tinubu is carrying it forward. It’s almost as if Tinubu is thinking, ‘If Buhari did it, why can’t I do it too?’ In fact, he’s going even further than Buhari did. Many individuals from Buhari’s region now find it difficult to object because they once enjoyed the same favor.

“Today, President Bola Tinubu has followed suit. You can count at least 22 critical positions, all within the financial sector, which have been allocated to individuals from his own region.”