Workers in National Assembly, under the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, have written to the National Assembly Service Commission, raising concerns over what they described as violations of the federal character principle in recent appointments.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a letter dated December 22 and signed by Sabiyyi Sunday, chairman of PASAN’s National Assembly chapter, the union reminded the commission that section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution requires fair and balanced representation of Nigeria’s states in public service appointments.
The workers said vacancies in the secretary cadre of the National Assembly are often filled by states that already have representation, while other states within the same geopolitical zones are repeatedly overlooked. According to them, this trend contradicts the spirit and letter of the federal character principle.
“We humbly draw attention to the provisions of section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended, further detailed in the Federal Character Commission Act, Cap F7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2024, which mandates equitable representation across Nigeria’s federating units in public appointments,” the letter said.
PASAN warned that failure to respect the principle could create a sense of exclusion and trigger industrial unrest within the legislature. The association stressed that fairness in appointments is necessary to maintain confidence in the system and avoid perceptions of bias.
The workers also referenced President Bola Tinubu’s recent reversal of the promotion of his aide-de-camp, describing the move as a demonstration of fairness and accountability. They urged the commission to draw lessons from the decision and ensure that its actions reflect transparency and good governance.
PASAN called on the National Assembly Service Commission to strictly comply with constitutional provisions and stop practices that could deepen imbalance in appointments across the federation.
