Lauretta Onochie, a former aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has accused President Bola Tinubu of extending the tenure of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, for one year to block Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) BU Nwafor from assuming the position.
In a statement on Thursday, July 30, 2025, signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President announced the extension of Adeniyi’s tenure, set to end in August 2025 after 35 years of service. Tinubu justified the extension as necessary for Adeniyi to “complete the good job he had started” since his appointment in 2023.
However, Onochie, in a scathing post on X, alleged that the extension was a deliberate move to prevent DCG Nwafor, a native of Anambra State, from becoming the next Comptroller General. Nwafor, who is due to retire in October 2026 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60, is the next in line for the position.
Onochie claimed that Nwafor’s gender, state of origin, and lack of political connections were factors in Tinubu’s decision. In her post, she wrote: “Under Pres. @officialABAT, nothing is in her favour. She’s a woman. She has no husband in the villa. She has no boyfriend in the Villa. She has no brother in the Villa. She is not from Bourdillon. No Governor’s backing. SHE IS FROM ANAMBRA. This is Tinubu’s Nigeria.”
The allegations have sparked debates about fairness and regional representation in Nigeria’s public service appointments. Neither the Presidency nor the Nigeria Customs Service has responded to Onochie’s claims as of the time of this report.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of President Tinubu’s appointments, with critics alleging favoritism in key federal positions. Observers are watching closely to see how the administration addresses these accusations and their implications for Nigeria’s governance and institutional leadership.
