Customs Recruitment: Tinubu Accused Of Nepotism, Regional Bias — Activist Mahdi Shehu

Political activist and public commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has launched a fresh tirade against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of deep-seated nepotism and regional favouritism in the recently released 2025 Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Cadet Officers shortlist.

In a strongly worded post shared via X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Shehu alleged that the recruitment exercise reflected “an institutionalised bias” that heavily favoured the South, particularly the South-West, to the detriment of the North.

According to the activist, out of the 1,785 candidates shortlisted, 1,244 were from the South, while the North accounted for only 541. He further claimed that the South-West alone produced about 803 names — representing nearly 45 per cent of the total list.

Shehu described the alleged imbalance as a blatant display of ethnic preference, asserting that President Tinubu had “perfected the art of nepotism far beyond what Nigeria witnessed under his predecessor.”

“The most outstanding and visible political blunder of Tinubu is that of open nepotism and foreign loan accumulation — an attitude he inherited from Buhari and even surpassed a billion times over,” Shehu wrote.

“Bola’s nepotistic inclination and perfection is so glaring that one could surrender to him the title of ‘Emeritus Professor of Nepotism.’”

The outspoken activist accused the President of concentrating power, influence, and resources in the hands of his kinsmen, especially in key sectors such as finance, infrastructure, and public service administration.

“It is not enough that he handed over the management of Nigeria’s wealth institutions to the South-West. He was not satisfied even after allocating over 70 per cent of capital projects to the region,” Shehu claimed.

“He feels no guilt that he decimated the economy of the North. Agencies led by South-Westerners continue to skew appointments and promotions in favour of their region. The examples are endless.”

Shehu further alleged that the Comptroller-General of Customs would not have made such recruitment decisions without confidence that the President would approve of them.

He lamented that Northerners now feel marginalised, unwanted, and profiled under Tinubu’s administration, stressing that the situation has deepened regional resentment and eroded national cohesion.

“Many from the North now wish they could live in a country of their own, where they are not treated like beggars or animals,” Shehu stated.

Quoting the Bible, Shehu concluded with a scriptural warning:

“The wicked make evil plans against good people, but the Lord laughs at the wicked because He sees their day is coming,” he cited from Psalms 37:12–13.

He added that Nigeria could not achieve unity or progress “on the foundation of deliberate, calculated, and well-crafted lopsidedness,” warning that history would not be kind to those enabling inequality and division.