Tinubu Network Defends FCC Appointment, Dismisses Allegations Against President, Oyetola

Sociopolitical group rejects Northern critics’ claims over FCC leadership change
Says Dankaka’s tenure marred by corruption, petitions, and staff revolt
Reversal of appointment described as a corrective move after 29 years of Northern dominance

The Tinubu Network Organization (TNO) has dismissed claims by some Northern groups accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of bias in the reversal of Ms Muheeba Farida Dankaka’s appointment as chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

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Sociopolitical group rejects Northern critics’ claims over FCC leadership change Says Dankaka’s tenure marred by corruption, petitions, and staff revolt Reversal of appointment described as a corrective move after 29 years of Northern dominance

In a statement issued by its Osun State Chapter Chairman, Dr Jimoh Olorede, the group argued that Dankaka’s appointment in 2020 by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari was flawed as it extended the North’s control of the Commission’s leadership for nearly three decades, against the principles of equity and fairness enshrined in its founding decree.

The statement recalled how Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe had openly opposed her confirmation in 2020, warning that appointing another Northerner after Mohammed Bello Tukur’s emergence as Secretary of the Commission in 2017 violated FCC’s long-standing principle of regional balance.

TNO highlighted integrity concerns against Dankaka, citing her alleged evasion of a House of Representatives probe into job racketeering, mismanagement of IPPIS, and recruitment scandals.

It added that petitions, protests, and a vote of no confidence from commissioners under her watch further underscored her credibility challenges.

The release also referenced her controversial honorary PhD from a discredited university, mass protests by the National Youth Council of Nigeria in 2021, and a joint petition by 29 of 36 commissioners in 2023 to the Presidency demanding her removal.

According to the group, testimonies at the National Assembly, including those by her former aide, Haruna Kolo, exposed widespread job racketeering and bribery during her tenure.

TNO therefore condemned Northern critics for linking Dankaka’s removal to the President and Oyetola, stressing that her sack was necessary to end long-standing lopsidedness and restore credibility to the FCC.