While some claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is running the most ethnically balanced government in Nigeria’s recent history, a closer look at the strategic appointments tells a different story—one of clear ethnic consolidation in favor of his Yoruba base.
In a widely shared post, political commentator Reno Omokri attempted to debunk claims that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is biased toward the Yoruba ethnic group. Using a list comparing current appointments to those made by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Omokri concluded that Tinubu’s cabinet is ethnically and regionally balanced.
However, the reality on the ground tells a far different story.
This article offers a broader and more honest audit of the Tinubu administration’s appointments—particularly in high-impact Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). What emerges is a pattern of strategic appointments that disproportionately favor the South-West, especially ethnic Yorubas, at the expense of national equity.
Let’s look at just a few of the most powerful and influential appointments under Tinubu:
Chief of Staff to the President – Femi Gbajabiamila (Yoruba)
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy – Wale Edun (Yoruba)
Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria – Yemi Cardoso (Yoruba)
Chairman, FIRS – Zacch Adedeji (Yoruba)
Minister of Power – Adebayo Adelabu (Yoruba)
Minister of Communications – Bosun Tijani (Yoruba)
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy – Gboyega Oyetola (Yoruba)
Attorney General of the Federation – Lateef Fagbemi (Yoruba)
Minister of Interior – Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Yoruba)
Minister of Solid Minerals – Dele Alake (Yoruba)
These are not token appointments—they are the command posts of the economy, national infrastructure, energy, digital policy, justice, and administration. These appointees are not just Yoruba by ethnicity, but mostly political allies, long-time associates, or loyalists from Lagos and the South-West.
Political representation is one thing. Control over the levers of national policy and revenue is another.
While Tinubu retained a few northern figures in some security positions, such as the National Security Adviser (NSA), the actual control of Nigeria’s finances, regulatory power, and executive decision-making is now heavily concentrated in Yoruba hands.
This consolidation includes:
Fiscal Policy (FIRS, Ministry of Finance)
Monetary Policy (CBN)
Legal Authority (AGF)
Digital Economy (Communications Ministry)
Budget Planning (Budget Office under Akabueze – also Yoruba-speaking)
No administration in recent history—even Buhari’s—has concentrated this much strategic influence within a single ethnic group.
What About Other Regions?
While some appointments from the North have been retained, especially in agencies like the NDLEA, Customs, or DSS, these are mostly operational or symbolic. The South-East and South-South remain glaringly underrepresented, particularly in key roles related to economic decision-making or national development planning.
This lopsidedness has not gone unnoticed. Analysts and civil society groups have raised the alarm over the potential fallout from perceived ethnic exclusion in such a fragile federation.
Reno Omokri’s Flawed Analysis
Reno’s widely circulated list includes agencies like NYSC, UBEC, NHIS, and NUC—important institutions, yes—but largely administrative or bureaucratic in nature. They do not shape monetary policy, draft budgets, control trade and customs, or direct national infrastructure.
By focusing on lower-impact agencies while ignoring the economic and political nerve centers of the country, the list misleads more than it informs.
Conclusion: Nigeria Deserves Better
The truth is simple: ethnic favoritism, no matter who is president, is dangerous in a pluralistic society like Nigeria. Tinubu’s pattern of appointments doesn’t reflect a balanced federation—it reflects consolidation, centralization, and cronyism.
Selective defense cannot cover the reality. Nigerians are watching—and history will remember.
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