The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) views with consternation the
ongoing attempts by certain individuals and interest groups to ethnicise the
nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Amupitan is an Okun man from Kogi
State, one of the minority ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria. There are 19 states in the North, each richly diverse and unique, none superior to the other by tribe, tongue, or faith.
We have observed, with dismay, the spate of commentaries and social media
tirades credited to some self-styled northern voices taking umbrage at
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Amupitan, a
distinguished scholar, refined legal mind, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria , as
yet another act of alleged ethnic preference.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
While not admitting any wrongdoing on the part of the President, we wish to
note that this is the first time in 65 years since the establishment of a statutory
electoral commission in 1959 that a northern minority has been appointed to lead it.
In all these decades, no northern minority group has ever questioned the
decisions of successive Heads of State or Presidents to appoint individuals they
felt comfortable working with, even when the North West and North East held the position consecutively for 15 years.
We therefore crave the understanding of all Nigerians to see northern
minorities as citizens with equal stakes in the Nigerian project and to cease the
habit of fulmination each time one of us is entrusted with national responsibility.
We recall that this unfortunate trend of deligitimising northern minority
appointments gained traction during the administration of President Olusegun
Obasanjo, when any appointment extended to a northern minority was
derisively dismissed as “not northern enough.”
The current ethnicisation of
Professor Amupitan’s appointment is a direct continuation of that ugly and
retrogressive trend, and it must stop.
It is important to emphasise that the North is not defined by ethnicity; it is a
geographical expression which is broad, inclusive, and inherently multi-ethnic.
Those peddling this skewed
tate as follows:
- This jejune narrative underscores our growing concern that some of our
northern colleagues continue to perceive northern minorities merely as
fillers of demography, unworthy of the privileges and recognition that
come with our place in the federation. - Such thinking is antiquated, divisive, and inimical to the spirit of modern
governance. - After 65 years of independence, our directive principle should be
competence, integrity, and capacity, fc not these parochial sentiments
that have stunted the growth and development of our great nation. - The appointment of Professor Amupitan should be celebrated as a bold
step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy… these are values that
must be internalised as a matter of national urgency if we are to
strengthen our democracy.
We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recognising the diversity of the
North and for giving all constituent groups a sense of belonging in his
appointments.
The NNMG therefore cautions against any further attempt to polarise this
nation along ethnic or sectional lines. We urge political actors, commentators,
and citizens alike to rise above petty identity politics and focus on building
institutions that work, irrespective of who heads them.
The time for ethnic arithmetic is over. The era of competence, fairness, and
national responsibility must begin in earnest.
We must reiterate, without ambiguity, that northern minorities collectively
constitute the true stabilising force of this federation — and when placed
together, we are not just “minorities”; we are the real majority that believes in
the unity and progress of Nigeria.
Chief Jacob EDI
KAKAKI BASSANGE
CONVENER
Northern Nigeria Minorities Group