Rights Coalition Urges President Tinubu to Uphold Federal Character Principle in Appointments

 Rights Coalition Urges President Tinubu to Uphold Federal Character Principle in Appointments

A coalition of civil society and rights advocacy groups under the aegis of the Coalition for National Socio-Political Rights and Equation (CNSRE) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the recent appointment of Hon. Ayo Omidiran as Chairman-designate of the Federal Character Commission, citing concerns over constitutional imbalance.

In a letter addressed to the President and signed by leaders of several organizations, the coalition argued that the appointment violates the spirit of equity enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution and the Federal Character Commission Act, which mandate fairness and inclusivity in federal appointments.

According to the coalition, the South-West geopolitical zone is structured into three sub-pairings for the purpose of federal appointments — Oyo/Osun, Lagos/Ogun, and Ekiti/Ondo. They noted that while Prof. Tunji Olaopa from Oyo State was appointed Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission in 2023, the new appointment of Hon. Omidiran from Osun State — both from the Oyo/Osun pairing — leaves the Lagos/Ogun and Ekiti/Ondo sub-pairings unrepresented.

“This imbalance, if not corrected, may foster feelings of exclusion and marginalization within the South-West zone and weaken public confidence in the equity and fairness that Your Excellency’s Renewed Hope Agenda has consistently championed,” the letter read in part.

The coalition urged President Tinubu to review the appointment of the Chairman-designate of the Federal Character Commission, which is still awaiting confirmation, in order to restore balance and reinforce the constitutional principle of federal character.

Signatories to the appeal include Debo Adeniran, President of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR); Nelson Ekujumi, Executive Director of the Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI); Tola Oresanwo, Director of Programmes, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL); Gbenga Soloki, President of the Campaign Against Impunity and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV); Shina Loremikan, National Coordinator of the Campaign Against Impunity in Nigeria; Michael Popoola Ajayi, National Coordinator of The Covenant Group; and Raheem Ajayi, President of the Political Renaissance Forum.

The groups expressed confidence in the President’s leadership, stressing that correcting the imbalance would further demonstrate his administration’s commitment to justice, equity, and national unity.