In a strongly worded statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the new appointments appear to be a panicked response to mounting discontent in the North rather than a sincere move to address deep-seated regional imbalances.
“You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause simply because, in the twenty-sixth month, you suddenly remember that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” Abdullahi stated.
The party dismissed the gestures as too little, too late, accusing the Tinubu administration of relying on symbolic optics rather than tackling the root causes of Northern Nigeria’s frustration—including worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and exclusion from major government decisions.
“For over a year, this government turned a blind eye while bandits terrorised the North, our farmers gave up their lands, and village economies crumbled under the weight of poor fuel subsidy policies,” the ADC noted, referencing the fallout from fuel subsidy removal and the escalation of rural insecurity.
The party also slammed the administration for sidelining Northern voices in key policy decisions, arguing that the new appointments are merely “consolation prizes” following earlier disregard.
“Tokenism is not inclusion, and symbolism is not governance,” Abdullahi said, urging the President to abandon what he termed “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” and instead embrace meaningful national inclusion through equitable policies, proper consultation, and adherence to the federal character principle.
“You can’t fix a leaking roof with press statements and photo opportunities,” he added. “And you certainly can’t rebuild public trust by pretending that appointments are a replacement for real leadership.”
The ADC’s remarks add to growing political commentary around regional equity and public confidence in the federal government’s leadership strategy.
