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A wave of criticism has trailed the recent naming of several institutions after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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The renaming of institutions after a sitting president has raised moral and ethical concerns.
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Civil society groups have condemned the practice, urging the National Assembly to pass legislation prohibiting the renaming of public institutions after sitting officials.
A wave of criticism has trailed the recent naming of several institutions after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including a newly constructed army barracks in Abuja.
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks, inaugurated on January 23, 2025, comes shortly after the federal government approved the establishment of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic, Gwarinpa, also in Abuja.
Seun Onigbinde, the co-founder of BudgIT, a civil society organization dedicated to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns.
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He wrote: “In less than a year, four public institutions have been named after President Bola Tinubu. This abuse of norms is rooted in the sycophantic culture that has grown in recent times.
The president should put a stop to this as he is signaling a culture that is highly unacceptable.”
The practice has also been condemned by several prominent civil society groups who argue that it undermines democratic values and fosters an unhealthy culture of personality worship.
Dr Moses Paul, the convener of the Free Nigeria Movement, a coalition of activist groups, expressed his dismay at the direction the administration is taking.
He stated that naming significant public institutions after a sitting president compromised national integrity and undermines the democratic process.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), was equally critical of the trend, warning that the practice sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s political culture.
He cautioned that such actions might lead to the instrumentalisation of public institutions for partisan purposes, which undermines the democratic ethos of national development.
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Rafsanjani urged the National Assembly to pass a legislation prohibiting the renaming of public institutions after sitting officials.
He suggested that any renaming of public assets should only be carried out after broad consultations and with the input of the civil society to ensure that it reflects the interests of the people rather than the preferences of those in power.
President Tinubu Declines Assent to Adamawa University Bill
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to the bill seeking to establish a Federal University of Education in Numan, Adamawa State, citing inconsistencies in the legislation.
In a letter to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen, read during plenary on Tuesday by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the President informed the House that he made the decision on December 23, 2024.