There will inevitably be an increased agitation for self determination in the Southeast under the Tinubu administration.
BY EMMA EDEH
It appears the marginalisation of the Igbos may continue under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu if the composition of his transition Committee nominees is anything to go by.
Tinubu on Thursday, April 20, nominated 13 persons into the Presidential Transition Council without any representative from the Southeast Zone in a clear negation of the federal character principle. There are six geo-political zones in the country but only the Southeast did not produce any nominee.
Tinubu listed the 13 nominees in a letter to the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC).
They are: Abdulazeez Yar’Adua, a younger brother of the late President Umar Yar’Adua, who will serve as the Head of Security and Ceremonial Parade.
President of Aspire Women Forum (AWF), Zainab Marwa-Abubakar, daughter of ex-Lagos Military Administrator Gen Buba Marwa (retd), will coordinate Pre-Inauguration Dinner and Gala Night.
Director of Media and Publicity at the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, will hold the same position in the cocommitte.
Former Borno North Senator and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Deputy Chairman, Abubakar Kyari is the Director of Finance and Budget.
The Executive Director (Business Development) at the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Stella Okotete is the Head of Secretariat, Planning and Monitoring.
A former APC governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Makinde Araoye will lead the Directorate of Venue, Parades, and Swearing-in; while Cross Rivers State Commissioner for Health and APC National Women Leader, Betta Edu will coordinate the Medical Team.
Others are: Bishop Adegbite (Church Service); Imam Faud (Jumat Service); Donald Wokoma (Protocol & Invitation); Samira Saddik (Children’s Day), Andrew Abuh (Accommodation); Danladi Bako (Inaugural Lecture); Hadiza Kabir (Transportation & Logistics).
Tinubu had earlier nominated Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu, and ex-Lagos Commissioner for Finance, Wale Edun, to the SGF as his representatives in the transition council.
President Muhammadu Buhari established a Presidential Transition Council for facilitating and managing the 2023 transition programme on February 14, 2023 through Executive Order 14.
Members of the Committee are: Secretary to the Government of the Federation – Chairman; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; permanent secretaries from the following ministries and Offices: Defence, Interior, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs,
Others are: Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Economic and Political Affairs Office, State House, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Director General, State Security Services, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; and. Two representatives, to be nominated by the President-elect.
The Transition Council was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Tuesday 14th February, 2023 at the Conference Hall of the SGF.
A key feature of the Presidential Executive Order No. 14 of 2023 is the institutionalization of a legal framework that would enable a seamless transition of power from one Presidential Administration to another which is part of President Buhari’s legacy.
In addition to the two statutory nominees of Tinubu, he added 13 others on Thursday without a representative from the Southeast. It should have been two nominees from each of the six Geo-Political Zones.
Tinubu is said to be angry with the Igbos for not voting for him. He has pledged not to discriminate against any group but his first assignment did not reflect that pledge.
Under Tinubu’s ambition to be president, non-Yorubas, especially Igbos were prevented from voting during the gubernatorial and state elections in Lagos State. Tinubu lost the presidential election in Lagos to Peter Obi of Labour Party and is said to be bent on taking a pound of flesh on the Igbo.
If this allegation turns out to be true, then there will inevitably be an increased agitation for self determination in the Southeast under the Tinubu administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s turbulent tenure is attributed by many critics to his deliberate policy of exclusion of Igbos in his government. Should Tinubu toe the same route, then Nigeria may continue on the part of crisis for the next four years.
Two states in the Southeast, Imo and Ebonyi, are controlled by APC so Tinubu has no genuine reason to exclude the Igbo from his government.
