President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed several prominent members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to key roles in his administration since taking office in 2023, including a former governor as FCT minister, two ambassadors, and a newly appointed agency chairman who once vowed he would never accept any offer from Tinubu.
Background: Government of National Competence
Shortly after Tinubu's victory in the 2023 elections, speculation arose that he planned to form a government of national unity by appointing opposition politicians. Tinubu, a longtime chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), later said he was more interested in forming a government of "national competence." However, his choice of appointees since inauguration appears to have lent credence to the earlier speculation.
Starting with the appointment of former Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Tinubu has brought several prominent PDP members into his administration. Legit.ng highlights four of them.
1) Nyesom Wike – FCT Minister
Wike, who refused to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 elections due to an internal party crisis, later admitted that he worked for Tinubu. He was eventually rewarded with a ministerial appointment. Today, Wike is considered by many PDP stalwarts as the party's national leader.
2) Ayo Fayose – Rural Electrification Agency Chairman
On Monday, July 20, 2026, President Tinubu approved the appointment of 26 individuals into the boards and management of 10 federal government agencies and commissions, with former Ekiti state governor Ayo Fayose named Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The appointments, which take immediate effect, were announced in a statement issued by the presidency. As chairman of the REA Board, Fayose will work alongside Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Mallam Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta, who were appointed as non-executive directors. The agency's director-general, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and the three serving executive directors complete the board.
Legit.ng previously reported that Fayose once said he would reject Tinubu's ministerial nomination if considered. He made this statement during the live telecast of Channels TV's Sunday Politics in Abuja on Sunday, July 9, 2023. During the interview, Fayose disclosed that he worked against the PDP presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in favour of President Tinubu. He noted that his reason for supporting Tinubu was not to lobby for a political appointment but solely because he believed in him. When asked if he would accept a ministerial offer from Tinubu, Fayose said, “I will never accept it,” as reported by Daily Trust. He added: “I never worked for PDP during the last election. There’s no reason to hide that… The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the turn of the South.”
3) Okezie Victor Ikpeazu – Ambassador to Spain
In November 2025, President Tinubu appointed Ikpeazu as Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain. Ikpeazu officially commenced his diplomatic mission after presenting copies of his Letters of Credence (Copie d’Usage) to the Spanish government. The ceremony took place at the Spanish ministry of foreign affairs in Madrid, where the director-general for Protocol, Chancery and Orders, Adrián Martín Couce, received the Nigerian envoy on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain. The presentation of copies of the Letters of Credence is a longstanding diplomatic tradition that formally notifies the host government of an ambassador’s appointment and authorises the ambassador-designate to begin official diplomatic engagements pending the formal presentation of the original Letters of Credence to the Head of State.
4) Reno Omokri – Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico
On Saturday, November 25, 2025, President Tinubu nominated Reno Omokri as an ambassador. On Thursday, December 19, 2025, the Nigerian Senate confirmed Omokri's appointment. On Friday, March 6, 2026, President Tinubu appointed Omokri as Nigeria's ambassador to Mexico. In May 2026, Omokri said he remains a member of the PDP despite working for the APC-led government of President Tinubu. He said this in a social media post while reflecting on his political journey. The former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan recalled being a member of the PDP as a 24-year-old at the return of democracy in 1999. According to The Sun, Omokri said: “And for the past twenty-seven years, I have NEVER changed parties.” He added that he has remained loyal to the party for ideological reasons – one Indivisible Nigeria and free trade, as well as privatisation and devolution of powers.
Impact and Reactions
The appointments have sparked debate about political cross-carpeting and the nature of Tinubu's government. One of the appointees, Reno Omokri, has declared he remains a card-carrying PDP member despite serving under an APC-led government. Meanwhile, Fayose's acceptance of the REA chairmanship marks a reversal from his earlier vow never to accept a Tinubu appointment.
