President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) has set the social media abuzz.
While the presidency has highlighted Ogunjimi’s extensive qualifications and experience, some Nigerians have criticized the move as evidence of alleged favoritism toward the Yoruba ethnic group.
The announcement, made by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, on Tuesday, faced immediate backlash from some social media users. Commenters accused the Tinubu administration of perpetuating sectionalism in key government appointments.
https://x.com/aonanuga1956/status/1866509369728479409?t=7GF7iQi5fbPyOjbZHID6YA&s=19
In response to Onanuga’s post, some critics labeled Tinubu’s government as “a government of the Yoruba, by the Yoruba, and for the Yoruba.” They claimed that recent appointments have disproportionately favored individuals from the Southwest region of Nigeria, marginalizing other ethnic groups.
A user wrote, “This is becoming too glaring; it’s almost like no other region matters in this administration.” Another commenter added, “Even if Ogunjimi is qualified, the optics of always appointing Yoruba candidates make it hard to believe this is a fair government.”
However, supporters of the president defended the appointment, arguing that Ogunjimi’s qualifications as a seasoned financial expert with over 30 years of experience make him the right candidate for the role.
Read some netizens’ reactions to Tinubu’s latest appointment of the Accountant General of the Federation below;
@agu: Government of the west for the west and with the west
@chimezie: Awonlokan
Yoruba government
@samuel: I think it will be better if you can drop every other tribe in this regime and make it all Yorubas
@flourish007: All juicy appointments appear to be reserved for Yoruba Nation only.
@emekajustice: Let the Yoruba Ronu mantra continue IMMEDIATELY! That’s a sign of a dying nation run by CAREER CRIMINALS!
BATidiots -over to you in the comment section!
@realolauda: These sectional appointments are getting increasingly embarrassing. If the presidency isn’t ashamed of this, we the citizens are!
Meanwhile, the presidency maintained that Ogunjimi was appointed based on merit. According to the statement, Ogunjimi’s vast experience in financial management, both in the public and private sectors, as well as his academic and professional credentials, position him as the best fit to manage Nigeria’s treasury.
President Tinubu expressed confidence in Ogunjimi’s ability to ensure a smooth transition and strengthen the administration’s economic reforms, emphasizing the importance of competence in appointments.
Thediscovererng.com reports that the controversy comes amid ongoing debates about the ethnic and regional balance in Tinubu’s cabinet and key appointments. Critics have urged the administration to prioritize inclusivity to foster national unity, while supporters argue that merit should be the foremost criterion in choosing leaders.
The appointment of Ogunjimi may be seen as a test of the government’s commitment to balancing meritocracy with equitable representation, a sensitive issue in Nigeria’s diverse sociopolitical landscape.
