Former Buhari Aide Onochie Faults Tinubu’s Ambassadorial List, Alleges Nepotism

For the second time in 90 days, former presidential aide,Lauretta Onochie, has written an open letter to her late former boss, PresidentMuhammadu Buhari, lamenting the state of the nation under President Bola AhmedTinubu and accusing the current administration of rewarding Buhari’s political“enemies” while sidelining core loyalists. Onochie, who served as Special Assistant on Digital andSocial Media during Buhari’s eight-year tenure and later as Chairperson of theNiger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), also criticised the recentlyreleased list of ambassadorial nominees, alleging severe lopsidedness in favourof the South-West. “Nepotism at its Peak” — Onochie Slams AmbassadorialNominations In a series of posts on her X handle on Sunday, Onochieexpressed outrage over what she described as “blatant nepotism” in Tinubu’sdistribution of ambassadorial slots. She listed the regional spread of nominees: South-South — 3 North-West — 5 North-Central — 5 North-East — 5 South-East — 6 South-West — 11 “But hey, you are solidly in bed with nepotism,” she wrote,insisting that the South-West was disproportionately favoured. Onochie also accused the president of compensatingindividuals who allegedly worked against the APC-led Buhari government. “We will overlook the glaring fact of rewarding those whomobilised hostilities against Pres. Buhari’s administration. Let’s just haveambassadors,” she stated. “Nigerians Miss You” — Onochie Writes Late Buhari Again In another lengthy post titled “To Former PresidentMuhammadu Buhari”, Onochie said Nigerians across regions were now openly sayingthey missed Buhari because of worsening hunger, insecurity and poverty. “Your Excellency... Nigerians are saying something they neverexpected to say: ‘We miss Buhari.’ Not because your administration was withoutflaws, but because the pain Nigerians face today cuts deeper than words cancapture,” she wrote. She praised Buhari’s “discipline,” “modest lifestyle,”“transparency about his health,” and perceived efforts to maintain nationalunity. “People are hurting. People are afraid. People miss thestability and honesty they once felt under your leadership,” she added, sayingshe had joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to help “rescue” Nigeria. Onochie also admitted that Buhari loyalists played a role inbringing the Tinubu administration to power. “We know we are guilty of installing this incompetent andclueless government but be assured we are united in the bid to sack thegovernment come 2027,” she wrote. She Previously Condemned Decline of APC Under Tinubu Onochie’s latest outburst comes barely three months aftershe released a similar public letter—widely reported in The DEFENDER andVanguard on August 15, 2025—in which she accused Tinubu of turning the APC intoa “private enterprise.” “Dear Baba, APC is now a private enterprise. Fairness,equity, justice, equality... have all been kpaied,” she wrote, lamenting aculture of impunity and reward for wrongdoing. She alleged that APC members “assault airport staff, hijackplanes and are rewarded as ambassadors,” concluding that the party no longerrepresented Buhari’s values. A Deepening Rift Within the Ruling Party Onochie’s comments highlight growing internal tensionswithin the APC as the 2027 elections approach. Her repeated criticism of theTinubu government—combined with her admission that Buhari loyalists helpedbring it to power—adds fuel to ongoing debates within the ruling party overloyalty, governance style and the direction of the nation.

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