The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s latest appointments, accusing him of making a belated and insincere attempt to regain the trust of Northern Nigerians after what the party described as over a year of neglect.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the recent appointments as a “desperate and cynical attempt” at damage control rather than a meaningful effort to address deep-rooted regional concerns.
“You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause simply because, in the twenty-sixth month, you suddenly remember that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” Abdullahi said, characterising the move as “political panic management” driven by fear rather than principle.
The party linked the appointments to broader governance failures, including the controversial removal of fuel subsidies and escalating insecurity in the North. Abdullahi accused the government of ignoring the suffering of rural communities plagued by banditry, displaced farmers, and a crumbling local economy.
“For more than a year, the government looked the other way while the North bled — with villages under attack, farmlands abandoned, and local economies pushed to the brink by harmful policies,” he stated.
Abdullahi also criticised the exclusion of Northern voices from earlier policy decisions and key appointments, suggesting that the current gestures were little more than “consolation prizes.”
He warned that Northerners would not be swayed by what he called symbolic gestures, saying, “Tokenism is not inclusion, and symbolism is not governance.”
Calling for a shift from what the party described as “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics,” the ADC urged the Tinubu administration to embrace genuine inclusion through equitable policies, meaningful consultations, and adherence to the federal character principle.
“You can’t fix a leaking roof with press statements and photo ops,” Abdullahi added.
“And you certainly can’t rebuild trust by acting like appointments are a substitute for leadership.