Tinubu’s tendency to reverse presidential appointments paints a picture of confusion

“Some people can make decisions, others can’t. Usually, you make a decision either too early or too late. I prefer to make them early. -Alex Ferguson in his autobiography, Leading (2013)

One thing everyone expects from a leader, whether it is a line manager, a supervisor, or a chief executive officer, is good decision-making skills. Or at least, the confidence that all decisions are made after careful thought and analysis of the information present at the time.

However, President Bola Tinubu’s swift reversal of previously announced decisions is painting a picture of confusion, and it makes me wonder why the president of the best country in the world is put in such a position, not once, but twice, which is enough to form a pattern.

The appointment of new executives for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and subsequent reversal raises questions about the thoroughness of vetting processes and the stability of executive directives.

In the latest instance, President Tinubu has ordered the recall of Salihu Abdullahi Dembos as Director-General of the NTA and Ayo Adewuyi as Executive Director of News. This directive, communicated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, effectively reinstates both executives to their original tenures, which were abruptly cut short by earlier changes in the NTA’s leadership.

For context, less than ten days ago, on August 20, the presidency announced a new slate of appointments for the NTA, including Rotimi Pedro as Director-General and Stella Din as Executive Director of News. Additionally, Karimah Bello was named Executive Director of Marketing, and Sophia Mohammed was named Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited. These appointments, it now appears, were short-lived.

Onanuga’s statement confirming the recall emphasised that Dembos, initially appointed in October 2023, would now complete his three-year tenure. Similarly, Adewuyi is set to return as Executive Director of News to fulfil his three-year term, which is slated to end in 2027.

This isn’t an isolated incident. The Tinubu administration has demonstrated this propensity for reversal before. A notable example occurred in August when Muheeba Dankaka was relieved of her duties as Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) mere hours after her reappointment for a second five-year term had been publicly announced by the presidency.

Such rapid changes, while perhaps indicative of a responsive presidency, also suggest a lack of decisive finality in initial appointments.

The recurring nature of these reversals could lead to uncertainty within government agencies and among appointees. Whatever the politics or reasons for reversing political appointments, there is a need for a more robust internal process to ensure that appointments are thoroughly considered and finalised before public announcement, thereby fostering greater confidence and stability within the public service.