Mahdi Shehu, a political analyst and public commentator, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his allocation of ministerial portfolios to Ministers-Designate.

Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Shehu accused Tinubu of replicating the same insensitivity exhibited by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Shehu asserted that President Tinubu displayed a clear preference for the Southwest and South-South regions while neglecting to extend the same favor to the South-East. According to Shehu, this bias is rooted in the fact that the South-East did not support Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election….CONTINUE READING

In his analysis, Shehu contended that Tinubu’s favoritism might have stemmed from an attempt to compensate former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and former militant leader, Asari Dokubo, both of whom have their origins in the South-South region.

Shehu remarked, “Upon Tinubu’s emergence, numerous objections and concerns arose, with 14 million people expressing their dislike for him.

There were significant questions surrounding his education, personality, and more. In light of these, he could have taken a different approach. However, he chose to act similarly to Buhari, adopting the same mannerisms, style, and spirit. Between Buhari and Tinubu, there is hardly any difference.”

Examining the distribution of portfolios, Shehu highlighted that the South-West received significant roles, such as the acting Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), key financial institutions, microfinance banks, shippers’ council, and communication-related ministries.

He further pointed out that essential ministries like health, environment, power, petroleum, justice, among others, were also allotted to the South-West.

Shehu compared this allocation to the formation of the Oduduwa Republic, suggesting that it appears as though the president is favoring the creation of separate republics within Nigeria.

He further claimed that this situation might potentially prompt the North to consider annexation by neighboring countries. In his assessment, Shehu noted that President Tinubu’s actions echo the insensitivity demonstrated by President Buhari.