Too Late for Political Tricks – ADC Slams Tinubu Over Northern Strategy

The announcement of nominations made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was characterized by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “desperate, cynical attempt to buy back the trust that he has spent over a year squandering, particularly in Northern Nigeria.”
According to a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s national publicity secretary, the ADC rejected the alleged appointments as being “too little, too late.”
“You suddenly remembered on the twenty-sixth month that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” the party said, adding that Tinubu cannot effectively ignore an area for more than 25 months and expect praise.

These appointments, the ADC claims, are merely “political panic management.”

The nominations, it said, are a desperate attempt to patch up the severe wounds caused by more than a year of deliberate negligence, presidential haughtiness, and unheard-of nepotism in Northern Nigeria.

“For more than a year, this government did nothing while bandits terrorized northern villages, our farmers fled their land, and rural economies collapsed due to the removal of poorly planned fuel subsidies,” the statement said.

Now that public dissatisfaction is intensifying and a strong opposition alliance is building support in the North and throughout the nation, President Tinubu is suddenly reminded that there are Nigerians to fill posts outside of Lagos.

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“This administration has made all of its significant decisions without consulting the North, including the elimination of subsidies and the majority of political appointments. The president is now awarding appointments as consolation prizes because the effects of those choices are already evident. However, as co-owners of our magnificent federal republic, Northerners are wise enough to avoid being duped by these symbolic appointments. They are aware that President Tinubu is acting dishonestly and can see right through his acts. Governance is not symbols, and tokenism is not inclusiveness.

Rejecting what it called “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics,” the ADC called on the Tinubu administration to embrace genuine national inclusion via policy equity, consultation, and true federal character.

It is impossible to fix a damaged roof with photo ops and press releases. And you can’t possibly win back the public’s trust by acting as though titles are a stand-in for a sincere dedication to nation-building,” the party stated.