By Abdul Lauya
In a stunning reversal within 24 hours, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dropped Dr Muheeba Dankaka as Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and appointed Ayo Hulayat Omidiran, a former House of Representatives member, in her place.
The shake-up comes barely a day after Eye Reporters published a detailed investigative commentary, “From Allegation to Elevation: Tinubu Reappoints Dankaka as FCC Chair”, highlighting unresolved corruption allegations, a botched House probe, and the political optics of her return.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in a re-issued statement on Tuesday, stressed that the new announcement “supersedes the earlier one,” effectively cancelling Dankaka’s second term.
The updated list also names Mohammed Musa as FCC Secretary, retains Kayode Oladele from Ogun State as Commissioner, and confirms 31 new state representatives alongside renewed terms for four commissioners.
Dankaka’s initial reappointment on Monday had provoked an immediate backlash from civil society groups, opposition voices, and on social media.
Critics accused the Tinubu administration of undermining its anti-corruption posture by restoring a figure previously accused of large-scale job racketeering.
Political insiders say the speed of the reversal reflects rare responsiveness to public and media pressure at the highest levels of government.
Others suggest that the about-face was the result of intense lobbying within the ruling APC, where Dankaka’s tenure had long been a point of contention.
While the presidency may have avoided a festering controversy by acting swiftly, the episode raises questions over the vetting process that allowed the reappointment to be announced in the first place.
For Omidiran, her arrival at the FCC’s helm comes with both opportunity and baggage, inheriting an institution mired in political disputes and under heightened public scrutiny.
