On Professor Amupitan’s Appointment And The So-Called Yorubacentricism Of President Tinubu

By Reno Omokri

The appointment of Professor Amupitan by President Tinubu is the first time in Nigeria’s history that a person of Lukumi Yoruba origin, who is also from the North-Central state of Kogi, has been appointed to head the Independent National Electoral Commission, and already, people are shouting that it is Yorubacentric.

Nobody from the North-Central and no Lukumi individual has ever occupied that seat in sixty-five years. Why? Is it that other zones and ethnicities are more noble and trustworthy than this region and ethnicity?

How about admitting the truth that it is a matter of qualification meeting equity?

Since 1960, we have had the following Chairmen or heads of our election commissions:

Eyo Esua (1964–1966) from Cross River State
Michael Ani (1976–1979) from Cross River State
Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey (1980–1983) from Deita State
Professor Eme Awa (1987–1989) from Abia State
Professor Humphrey Nwosu (1989–1993) from Anambra State
Professor Okon Edet Uya (1993) from Akwa-Ibom State
Sumner Dagogo-Jack (1994–1998) from Rivers State
Justice Ephraim Akpata (1998–2000) from Edo State
Dr. Abel Guobadia (2000–2005) from Edo State
Professor Maurice Iwu (2005–2010) from Imo State
Professor Attahiru Jega (2010–2015) from Kebbi State
Amina Bala Zakari (acting, 2015) from Jigawa State
Professor Mahmood Yakubu (2015–2025) from Bauchi State

From the list above, the North-Central and the Lukumi Yoruba are the two major region and ethnicity that have never occupied that seat. However, when President Tinubu corrects that error by appointing a much qualified Lukumi from the North-Central, the usual suspects are screaming Yorubacentricism.

They did not say anything when under Buhari, Northern Muslim Males led the Executive as President (Buhari), the Legislative as Senate President (Lawan), the Judiciary as Chief Justice (Tanko), the INEC (Mahmoud Yakubu), as well as the Army, Police, Air Force, NSA, DMI, EFCC, DSS, NCS, NIS, NPS, and DIA!

In addition to the Ministry of Defence, Nigeria has a total of twenty security and law enforcement agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Airforce, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Security, the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Correctional Service ( formerly known as the Nigerian Prison Service), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Federal Fire Service and the National Youth Service Corp, which unknown to most Nigerians is actually a reserve force that can be called up during emergencies.

Read Also:HURIWA urges Tinubu To Enforce Law On Early Campaign.

Again,Trump survives assassination attempt, suspect arrested

Ajaero:Nigeria is a country governed by law,FG tells UK Trade Union Congress

Reps member cries out over abduction of 30 village head,others by Ambazonian Separatists

CBN calls for urgent action over Naira abuse and commoditization

The question is this: Of these twenty security and law enforcement agencies, how many are headed by persons of Lukumi Yoruba origin from the Southwest? The answer is only six: the Nigerian Army, the Police, Customs, the DSS, the NYSC and the EFCC. And some of these six are Northerners.

The Northwest has the highest share, as it also has the highest population in the country.

Under President Tinubu, there is an ethnic balance in appointments, which is why, for the first time since 2015, a person from the Southeast is a member of the National Security Council with the appointment of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla from Enugu as the Chief of Naval Staff.

Therefore, if anyone quarrels about Professor Joash Amupitan’s appointment as INEC Chairman, let that argument be based on his qualifications or character, because the argument about his ethnicity, region and religion has fallen flat!

Reno Omokri

Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022. 21st Most Talked About Person in Africa, 2024.