The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has openly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appointments, alleging they are merely symbolic efforts to regain the trust of the northern region after what it described as over two years of neglect.
In a strongly worded statement released on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC labelled the move as “political panic management,” rather than genuine inclusion.
“You can’t sideline a major region for twenty-five months and expect applause because you remembered federal character in the twenty-sixth,” the statement read.
The ADC accused the Tinubu administration of deliberately excluding the North from key governance roles and decision-making processes since taking office. It also criticised the government’s response to rising insecurity in the region, stating that rural communities were left to suffer as banditry, displacement, and economic hardship worsened after the removal of fuel subsidies.
With mounting public dissatisfaction and the rise of opposition coalitions gaining traction in the North, the party said the President’s latest gestures are coming too late to be seen as sincere.
“The North can see through these tokenistic gestures. Appointments alone cannot fix a legacy of exclusion. Symbolism is not governance,” Abdullahi stated.
The ADC further urged the President to abandon what it described as “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” and instead focus on real nation-building, guided by equity, consultation, and adherence to constitutional federal character principles.
“You don’t rebuild trust with press conferences and photo ops. You do it with policies that respect every part of the federation,” the party said.
In a swift response, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fired back at the ADC, accusing the opposition party of playing politics with the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, and shared via the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the party described the ADC’s remarks as “callous and insensitive.”
According to Morka, the ADC’s reaction to the dignified state burial accorded to the late President was not only politically motivated but also showed a lack of empathy.
“Rather than honouring a national moment of mourning, the ADC chose to score political points by questioning the state burial of a former head of state. This is deeply disturbing,” he said.
The APC defended President Tinubu’s actions, highlighting his presence and leadership during the state burial events as a sign of respect and national unity.
The statement went on to accuse the ADC of being a “party of displaced politicians” and warned Nigerians to be cautious of opposition groups using tragedy for political leverage.
President Muhammadu Buhari passed away on July 13 and was buried with full state honours on July 15. A special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session was held in his honour, with his family in attendance and President Tinubu leading the tributes.
