The Alliance for Deepening Democracy (A4DD) has expressed serious concerns regarding the current process of nominating and appointing ministers, accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of overlooking vital sectors of society in his selection of potential ministers.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The A4DD, a coalition of organizations from various sectors working collaboratively to strengthen democracy in Nigeria, issued a statement in Abuja, condemning the hearings and confirmations at the Senate as a mockery of the intended process to assess the suitability of nominees….CONTINUE READING

The alliance highlighted the significant gender imbalance in the nominations, as only about 25 percent of the 28 names submitted to the Senate for screening are women, despite women representing about half of the country’s population. Furthermore, there is no representation of persons with disabilities on the list, even though they make up about 15 percent of the population.

Mr. Edetaen Ojo, the chair of the Alliance’s Steering Committee and executive director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), expressed deep concern about the absence of debates on the qualifications of the nominees and emphasized that loyalty and regional backgrounds seem to be the primary considerations.

The A4DD urged President Tinubu to rectify the gender discrimination and inequity in government by ensuring a significant percentage of ministerial nominees are women and persons with disabilities.

The alliance also criticized the practice of submitting names without indicating their portfolios, seeing it as evidence of a lack of interest in appointing competent individuals. The ongoing confirmation hearings at the Senate were also condemned for their lack of diligent screening and assessment of nominees’ qualifications.

In conclusion, the Alliance for Deepening Democracy calls for a fair and equitable approach to ministerial appointments, promoting competent and qualified individuals to manage the country’s affairs across various sectors.