The northwestern and southeastern geopolitical zones of the country have been consistently left out in the appointment of two principal officers of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) since its establishment in 1996, raising concerns about fairness and regional representation.
Historically, the executive chairman position has been dominated by the northeast and north-central. The pioneer chairman, Alhaji Adamu Fika (Yobe, northeast), served from 1996 to 2001. His successor, Alhaji Bello Kofa-Bai (Katsina, northwest), passed away after two years in office and was replaced by Prof. Shuaibu Oba Abdul-Raheem (Kwara, north-central), who served a full five-year tenure before resigning during his second term.
In line with this pattern, Dr. Muheeba Dankaka (Kwara, north-central) was later appointed as the fourth substantive executive chairman, continuing the exclusion of the northwest from this critical leadership role.
A similar trend is evident in the appointment of the secretary to the commission, where the southeast remains unrepresented. Since its inception, the position has been occupied by individuals from the south-south and southwest:
– Mr. Effanga (South-South) – 4 years
– Deacon O.P. Emerhana (South-South) – 4 years
– Prof. F.A. Durosinmi-Etti (South-West) – 9 years
– Barr. Jude Rex-Ogbuku (South-South) – 4 years
Given this imbalance, voices from the northwest are calling for equitable representation by allowing the region to complete the northern cycle before the leadership moves to the South. Similarly, there is a push for the appointment of a southeast candidate as secretary to correct the longstanding exclusion of the zone.
With the current acting secretary from the south-east, advocates argue that his confirmation would promote fairness, justice, and improved service delivery in a system where regional balance remains a key principle.
