President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withdrawn the reappointment of Dr. Muheeba Faridah Dankaka as Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and announced Ayo Omidiran, a former member of the House of Representatives, as her replacement.
Earlier on Monday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had issued a statement confirming Dankaka’s reappointment, alongside the appointment of Mohammed Musa as FCC Secretary and the retention of Kayode Oladele from Ogun State as Commissioner.
However, in a fresh statement released shortly afterwards, the presidency confirmed the change in leadership, stating that Omidiran would now take over from Dankaka, whose tenure was marked by prolonged controversy.
The statement noted that Musa remains as the commission’s secretary while Oladele, a former acting FCC chairman, retains his position as commissioner. The president also renewed the appointments of Lawal Ya’u Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Atiku Bunu (Kebbi), Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), and Abdulwasiu Kayode Bawalla (Lagos).
Dankaka’s time as FCC chair was clouded by allegations of misconduct. In July 2023, several commissioners accused her of high-handedness and job racketeering when they appeared before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating recruitment malpractice and the misuse of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The commissioners alleged she was running the commission in violation of its enabling act — claims she strongly denied.
In June this year, a group known as the “Concerned Staff Members of the FCC” urged Tinubu not to reappoint Dankaka, warning that such a decision would “reward failure, legitimize corruption, deepen division, and destroy the last threads of trust in the FCC.” They called on the presidency to heed the concerns of staff, commissioners, whistleblowers, and civil society organisations opposed to her return.
With Omidiran’s appointment, the presidency is signaling a fresh start for the FCC amid calls for reform and transparency.
