President Bola Tinubu is building a reputation for himself as the flip-flopper in chief — the president who, after announcing an appointment or a bold new policy today, is more than likely to reverse it.
From the last-minute withdrawal of Maryam Shetty’s ministerial nomination while she waited at the Senate for screening, to the dramatic replacement of Muheeba Dankaka as Federal Character Commission chairperson just four hours after reappointment, the president’s repeated U-turns have fuelled criticism of sloppy decision-making and poor internal coordination.
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Analysts say these abrupt reversals, often without official explanations, have left the administration looking indecisive and disorganised.
Below are seven notable flip-flops that have defined the Tinubu presidency so far:
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1. Muheeba Dankaka’s Four-Hour Reappointment
On Monday, President Tinubu reappointed Muheeba Dankaka for another five-year term as chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).
Four hours later, the presidency issued a fresh statement replacing her with former lawmaker Ayo Omidiran. No reason was given for the change, but presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga noted that Ms Dankaka’s tenure was dogged by controversy.
The reversal caused confusion, with some prominent Nigerians — including the Emir of Ilorin — congratulating Ms Dankaka after the initial announcement, unaware it had been withdrawn.
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2. INEC REC Nominees Withdrawn
On 18 March, the president withdrew the appointment of two INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), Mohammad Ngoshe (Borno) and Owede Kosioma Eli (Bayelsa), days after he first nominated them.
Umar Mukhtar, the current REC for Borno, was reappointed, while Johnson Silnikiem was named REC for Bayelsa.
3. CBN Board nominee
After forwarding her name to the Senate two days earlier, the president withdrew the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on 14 March 2024.
The decision to withdraw her nomination followed pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Ms Onwudiwe’s political affiliation.
4. Maryam Shetty’s Abrupt Ministerial Withdrawal
In August 2023, Kano-born politician Maryam Shetty arrived at the Senate for her ministerial screening, only to learn her nomination had been withdrawn.
Her name was replaced with that of Mariya Mahmoud. The reversal generated both sympathy and ridicule online, with critics calling it an avoidable embarrassment.
5. NDDC Board Shake-Up in 24 Hours
On 2 September 2023, the Nigerian leader replaced Cross River State’s Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) nominee, Asi Okang, with Orok Duke, and Ondo State nominee Victor Akinjo with Otito Atikase — just a day after announcing the initial list.
The changes followed protests from residents and APC members in both states.
6. FERMA Chair Nomination Reversed
On 13 October 2023, the presidency announced Kashim Imam as chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) board.
Less than a week later, his appointment was withdrawn without explanation. “All other appointments to the Board and Executive Management team of FERMA are not affected by this directive,” a State House statement said at the time.
7. Dissolution of Boards — With Last-Minute Exemptions
In June 2023, President Tinubu dissolved the governing boards of all federal parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies.
Shortly after the announcement, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) clarified that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) were exempted from Mr Tinubu’s dissolution order. No reasons were given for the exemptions.
The situation shows a lack of systematic adherence, or not following procedures, said Veronica Igube, a policy analyst at SBM Intelligence. “It’s like they take us for a joke. How do you announce that somebody has been appointed on one hand and come back to say, Oh, sorry, this is not the person that has been appointed.”
“The federal government should ensure that before every communication comes out, it’s completely verified and authorised. If the government is appointing someone to a position, that’s not something that is taken lightly. A mistake can happen once, but it shouldn’t repeat itself.”
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