BCDA controversy: The messy power tussle over Tinubu’s appointee
By:Abudu Olalekan
Imagine getting a major federal appointment from the President himself, only to realize you can’t even get into your new office. That is exactly what’s playing out right now at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).
It’s been three weeks since President Bola Tinubu announced Dr Abdulrazak Namdas as the new Director-General. But he still hasn’t resumed. Why? Because the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, is allegedly sitting on his appointment letter.
The whole thing have created a massive leadership crisis. The former boss, Dakorinama George, is basically just carrying on with his official duties like nothing happened. The presidential directive is completely stalled out.
Let’s rewind a bit. On June 26, the Presidency released a statement through Bayo Onanuga. They announced Namdas, a former House of Reps spokesman, as the new BCDA boss. The statement was pretty clear. It said Namdas was replacing George, who “resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state.” It also said the appointment took immediate effect.
Fast forward to today, and Sunday Reportersroom gathered that Namdas is just waiting around. The formal instrument conveying the President’s decision hasn’t been released.
But here is the crazy part. George is still occupying the corner office. He is still presiding over engagements. He’s even representing the agency at high-level federal meetings.
Just a few days ago, on July 9, George sat down with the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele in Abuja. He went there to hustle for BCDA project funds. A Rivers-based news platform called ‘Port Harcourt Force’ even plastered the photos on Facebook. They kept calling George the “Executive Secretary.”
During that meeting, George was busy congratulating the minister and talking about a $2 billion Chinese investment for a livestock hub in Jigawa State. He even mentioned collaborating with security agencies. Which begs the question: who is actually in charge of this agency?
Hamman Yero, an APC chieftain, is furious about it. He went on Trust TV on Thursday and pointed fingers straight at the SGF.
“This is a mandate given to the President by Nigerians. On whose mandate is the SGF acting?” Yero asked. He made a solid point. If the President gives a directive and the SGF just hoards the letter, it creates a serious constitutional mess. Usually, the Chief of Staff sends these approvals to the SGF for implementation. Yero thinks the Chief of Staff needs to wake up and see what’s happening.
This whole BCDA controversy feels like Deja Vu. Remember the NIPOST drama back in October 2023? Tinubu appointed Tola Odeyemi as the new Postmaster-General. Three days later, the old boss, Sunday Adepoju, claimed he was reinstated. Workers literally locked the gates. It took the Presidency stepping in again to finally force Adepoju out.
Sources inside BCDA told Sunday Reportersroom the real story of why George won’t leave. He originally resigned to chase the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State. But he lost the primary. So, what did he do? He just quietly walked back into his office and resumed work. No formal handover. Nothing.
One senior official, who didn’t want to be named, said George has some heavy political backing. Word on the street is that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is protecting him. George was Wike’s Commissioner for Works back in Rivers, and supposedly Wike was the one who got him the BCDA gig in the first place.
We couldn’t independently verify Wike’s involvement, though. One of the minister’s allies brushed it off as “mere insinuation,” pointing out that Wike is also just an appointee and doesn’t have that kind of power.
When Sunday Reportersroom reached out to Bayo Onanuga at the Presidency, he stood his ground. The President hasn’t changed his mind. Namdas is the guy.
“All these things they are talking about, they don’t know what they are talking about,” Onanuga said. But when asked why Namdas hasn’t gotten his letter, Onanuga essentially passed the buck. He said the Presidency already communicated the decision to the SGF, so it’s up to Akume to hand over the letter.
Trying to get answers from the SGF’s office was a brick wall. The PR Head, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, demanded a formal letter before he would talk. The SGF’s media aide, Yomi Odunuga, claimed he knew absolutely nothing about it. And George? He ignored all our calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages.
Legal experts and political analysts are watching this play out with serious concern. Suraj Bamidele, a constitutional lawyer, says this is bigger than just who gets the job. It shows there is no transparent system for enforcing presidential appointments.
Public affairs analyst Sunday Awosika echoed that. Between this and the recent noise about a phantom Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, it looks bad. Abdulrasaq Rasheed, another analyst, thinks there’s a serious clash of duties happening between the Chief of Staff and the SGF, leading to all this uncoordinated mess.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) isn’t taking it lightly either. They literally told Tinubu to resign if he can no longer control his own administration. Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s spokesman, released a statement on Friday calling on the National Assembly to step in.
“If the reports concerning the Border Communities Development Agency are true, then this is no longer about one disputed appointment,” the ADC stated. “When a President announces the appointment of one person and another simply ignores that directive and carries on in office, Nigeria is no longer witnessing administrative confusion. We are witnessing a struggle for control of the Presidency itself.”
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
