Tinubu Reverses Federal Character Commission Chair Appointment Within Hours, Sparks Confusion
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday caused confusion by reappointing Muheeba Dankaka as Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) in the evening, only to reverse the decision and name former lawmaker Ayo Hulayat Omidiran as her replacement within four hours.
The presidency initially announced Ms. Dankaka’s reappointment at 6:35 p.m., along with other appointments including Mohammed Musa as the Commission’s secretary and several state commissioners. Kayode Oladele from Ogun State was retained as commissioner after serving as acting chair following the expiration of Ms. Dankaka’s previous term.
However, by 10:44 p.m., a subsequent statement was issued, superseding the earlier one and confirming Ms. Omidiran as the new FCC chairperson. The list of appointees was mostly unchanged except for the addition of Abdulwasiu Kayode Bawalla as Lagos commissioner.
This sudden reversal ended Ms. Dankaka’s tenure, which had faced controversies during her service. Ms. Omidiran, a former House of Representatives member from Osun State, now leads the commission responsible for ensuring fair representation in federal appointments and resource distribution.
The unexpected development led to mixed reactions, including from the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who publicly congratulated Ms. Dankaka early Tuesday, unaware of the presidency’s subsequent reversal. He praised her performance and pledged support, though the message became obsolete after the change.
This incident adds to a series of appointment reversals since President Tinubu took office in May 2023, with the administration frequently withdrawing or amending earlier announcements. Critics have pointed to these repeated errors as signs of poor communication and administrative disorganization within the government.
