President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday retracted his reappointment of Dr. Muheeba Dankaka as Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) just hours after announcing it, instead appointing former lawmaker Hon. Ayo Hulayat Omidiran as the new chair.

At 6:35 p.m., the presidency, through a statement signed by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the renewal of Dr. Dankaka’s five-year term, along with the appointment of Mohammed Musa as secretary and the retention of Kayode Oladele as commissioner.

The statement included a full list of commissioners representing various states across the federation.

However, by 10:44 p.m., the presidency issued a follow-up statement “superseding the earlier one,” announcing the appointment of Ms. Omidiran, a former member of the House of Representatives from Osun State, as the new chairperson.

This move effectively ended Dr. Dankaka’s tenure, which had been subject to controversy during her term.

The change led to confusion among stakeholders, including the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who publicly commended Dr. Dankaka for her reappointment in the early hours of Tuesday, unaware of the reversal. The Emir described her performance as “excellent” and pledged support for her continued service.

The new list of appointees remained mostly unchanged, with the addition of Abdulwasiu Kayode Bawalla as commissioner representing Lagos State. Several commissioners, including Lawal Ya’u Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Atiku Bunu (Kebbi), and Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), were reappointed for second terms.

President Tinubu’s administration has faced repeated incidents of appointment reversals and amendments since assuming office in May 2023. Critics point to these occurrences as indicative of procedural lapses and communication challenges within the presidency’s appointment processes. Observers note that this latest incident contributes to concerns over administrative coordination and decision-making under the current government.

The Federal Character Commission plays a critical role in ensuring equitable representation of Nigeria’s diverse states and ethnic groups in federal appointments and resource distribution, making leadership stability a key issue for stakeholders nationwide.