Olufemi Aduwo, the Permanent Representative of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) to the United Nations, has strongly pushed back against recent comments made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over President Bola Tinubu’s alleged ethnic bias in political appointments.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Aduwo condemned Lawal’s attempt to attribute his grievances with the Tinubu administration to the Yoruba ethnic group, describing such generalisations as “deeply unjust” and “dangerously divisive.”
“It is one thing to hold a political leader accountable; it is quite another to malign an entire ethnic group on the basis of political grievances,” Aduwo stated. “To suggest that the Yoruba people are ungrateful to political allies or prone to excluding others is not only inaccurate, it distorts the record of Nigeria’s political history.”
Aduwo recalled the principled role played by Yoruba leaders in defending political allies across ethnic lines, citing the 1980 deportation case of Borno politician Alhaji Abdurrahman Shugaba. In that instance, he noted, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria directed a Yoruba legal luminary, Chief G.O.K. Ajayi, SAN, to challenge the federal government’s actions in court, an act driven by justice, not tribal affinity.
He also pointed to the inclusive record of other Yoruba leaders such as President Olusegun Obasanjo, who appointed Northerners to key positions like the National Security Adviser and Chief of Staff during his administration. Similarly, during Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, the Yoruba had minimal presence in the executive, yet refrained from ethnic outcry, Aduwo noted.
“Ethnic identity and political loyalty are not the same,” he warned. “Conflating them poisons national discourse and threatens the fragile unity of our country.”
Addressing Lawal directly, Aduwo argued that while criticism of President Tinubu’s appointments is fair, it should be directed at the President as an individual, not at the Yoruba people collectively. He reminded Lawal that even under former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose appointments were often criticised for northern bias, critics targeted the administration rather than condemning entire northern ethnic groups.
Aduwo also dismissed suggestions that ordinary Yoruba people benefit from President Tinubu’s appointments, noting that they face the same economic hardships as citizens in other parts of the country. “Inflation, insecurity, and currency depreciation affect everyone, from Yoruba traders in Ibadan to farmers in Kano,” he said.
Drawing from his own experience at the helm of a multicultural organisation, Aduwo emphasised the importance of competence and inclusivity in appointments, stating: “Positions should go to those who are qualified and committed, not selected by bloodline or birthplace.”
He concluded by urging restraint and national unity: “Babachir Lawal would do well to separate his criticism of Tinubu’s administration from unfair generalisations about the Yoruba. Nigeria needs healing, not the recycling of ethnic grievances.”
In a final reflection, Aduwo noted that despite the North having produced leaders for the majority of Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, the region still grapples with poverty, illiteracy, and insurgency. “The future of Nigeria lies not in ethnic blame games but in choosing competent, trustworthy leaders who can govern justly, for all Nigerians,” he said.
