Tinubu reappoints Muheeba Dankaka as chair of Federal Character Commission

President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Muheeba Dankaka as the chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

In a statement issued on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, said Dankaka will serve a second term of five years.

The president also appointed Mohammed Musa as the commission’s secretary and retained Kayode Oladele from Ogun as commissioner.

Oladele, a former member of the house of representatives, was appointed in 2024. Following Dankaka’s first-term tenure’s expiration, he served as the commission’s acting chairman.

Tinubu renewed the appointment of Lawal Ya’u Roni, Abubakar Bunu, and Eludayo Eluyemi, who represent Jigawa, Kebbi, and Osun states, respectively, for a second term.

He also appointed new commissioners for various states, including Obina Oriaku (Abia), Bema Madayi (Adamawa), Obongawan Dora Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Nnoli Nkechi Gloria (Anambra), Babangida Adamu Gwana (Bauchi), Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), Aligba Eugene Tarkende (Benue), Modu Mustapha (Borno), and Stella Odey Ekpo (Cross River).

Others are Ederin Lovette Idisi (Delta), Nwokpor Vincent Nduka (Ebonyi), Victor Sabor Edoror (Edo), Sola Fokanle (Ekiti), Peter Eze (Enugu), Ibrahim Baba Mairiga (Gombe), Jerry Alagbaoso (Imo), Ruth Jumai Ango (Kaduna), Muhammad Awwal Nayya (Kano), Anas Isah (Katsina), and Bello Idris Eneye (Kogi).

The president also appointed Ibrahim Abdullahi (Kwara), Isah Jibrin (Niger), Ajimudu Bola (Ondo), Ayodeji Abas Aleshinloye (Oyo), Pam Bolman (Plateau), Aaron Chukwuemeka (Rivers), Aminu Tambar (Sokoto), Bobboi Bala Kaigama (Taraba), Jibir Maigari (Yobe), Sani Garba (Zamfara), and Solomon Ayuba Dagami (FCT).

CORRUPTION CLAIM AGAINST DANKAKA

In July 2023, some FCC commissioners accused Dankaka of high-handedness and job racketeering.

The commissioners spoke when they appeared before the house of representatives ad hoc committee set up to investigate ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and tertiary institutions on recruitment, employment racketeering, and the mismanagement of the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS).

They claimed that Dankaka was running the commission aground in gross violation of the FCC enabling act — an allegation the chairperson denied.

A few days into the panel’s sitting, an investigation accused members of the house committee of extorting money from agencies.

The committee was later dissolved, and nothing has been heard about it since then.