ABUJA, NIGERIA — President Bola Tinubu’s move to offer board slots to state governors has sparked controversy, as the Labour Party, LP, and its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have voiced their opposition.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, and Kwara State Governor, revealed during a forum meeting in Abuja that President Tinubu asked governors to nominate competent individuals for board roles in federal agencies.
These positions were left vacant following the dissolution of governing boards of over 153 agencies last month.
However, the LP characterized the offer as a ploy by the ruling party to win over opposition governments and chieftains.
Yunusa Tanko, the Chief Spokesman for the Obi-Datti Campaign Council, labelled the move as a bid to “legitimize” Tinubu’s presidency, which he deemed “illegitimate.”
He maintained the LP would only act once a court ruling was delivered.
“APC is doing everything in their crooked book to ensure they legitimize this government, which we have resisted vehemently,” Tanko said.
He argued that by extending the offer to the sole LP governor, the ruling party is attempting to recruit him into their ranks indirectly. “What they are aiming to do is to indirectly co-opt him into their party,” Tanko explained.
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, opted for silence until its governors decide on the offer.
Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, stated he wasn’t aware of the offer and would not comment until he had spoken with the PDP governors.
Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in the last election, also refused to comment on the issue. His media aide, Mr. Paul Ibe, simply stated, “It is not within our purview to react to issues like this.”
Contrarily, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, praised President Tinubu for an initiative they believe would foster national integration.
Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, labeled the move as a sign of Tinubu’s commitment to “engendering national integration and a government of national unity towards sustainable growth and development.”
Despite the mixed reactions, it is clear that the issue has drawn sharp lines between the ruling party and the opposition, emphasizing the simmering tension in the country’s political landscape.
