The presidency has criticised Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South for claiming that President Bola Tinubu’s latest appointments are uneven.
Ndume told Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday that Tinubu’s nominations did not reflect the diversity required by Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
The Borno senator described the nominations as a violation of the constitutional clause requiring federal character.
Onanuga responded to Ndume’s comments in a post uploaded on his X handle on Tuesday evening, calling them “hypocritical” and a “selective perception”.
The special adviser to the president on media and publicity claimed that the lawmaker neglected critical facts for political purposes, accusing the Borno senator of acting as a moral authority on equality.
According to the presidential adviser, Ndume omitted to mention during his interview that the president just promoted two of his family members to posts at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Onanuga said, “Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments.
“The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, is from Ndume’s senatorial district. If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so “tribal”, how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?
“As a politician, Ndume has proven time and time again that he is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics. His habit of firing half-baked criticisms — only to be contradicted by facts — proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble-rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.”
The presidential communications adviser characterised Ndume’s charges as part of a history of “headline-chasing” and “rabble-rousing”, claiming that the senator frequently makes false comments that are ultimately disproven.
Onanuga emphasised Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying that selections under the current administration are based on merit, integrity, and national balance.
“The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, geographical spread, and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic,” he said.
The presidential assistant asked Ndume to “elevate public discourse” and stop spreading “misinformation and baseless criticism”.
