Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A deepening leadership crisis at the Border Communities Development Agency has escalated into a direct challenge to presidential authority, as the embattled Executive Secretary, Dr. Dakorinama Alabo George, a known ally of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, has refused to vacate office despite President Bola Tinubu publicly appointing a replacement nearly one month ago. The standoff, which has sparked concerns over a possible constitutional crisis, pits the President's directive against the defiant stance of a political appointee who insists that his resignation never created a vacancy because he withdrew from the governorship race before the primaries.
President Tinubu had, on March 31, 2026, directed all political appointees intending to contest elective positions in the 2027 general elections to resign on or before that date. George, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Works, had reportedly resigned to contest the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Rivers State. However, he withdrew from the race on May 21, 2026, at the last minute. On June 26, 2026, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced the appointment of former House of Representatives spokesman Abdulrazak Sa'ad Namdas as George's replacement, stating that the appointment took immediate effect.
Despite the public announcement, George has remained in office, continued to function as the agency's chief executive, and held official engagements, including a meeting with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, where he appealed for timely budget releases for the agency. Defending his decision to remain in office, George argued that his resignation never created a vacancy because he eventually withdrew from the governorship race. He insisted that Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act only requires political appointees to resign before participating in party primaries and does not mandate a specific timeline. "The law is the law and anything outside the law (even a directive) does not stand," George said.
George further claimed that the Presidency was wrongly informed that he had resigned. "Technically there was no vacancy. Someone erroneously misinformed the Presidency that there was a directive and an announcement was made but when they found out that there was no resignation it was quickly corrected," he added. However, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga dismissed George's claim in a terse response: "Not true. Namdas stays". The crisis has been further complicated by allegations that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has withheld Namdas's formal appointment letter, paralyzing the administrative transition and creating a dual-leadership dynamic where a publicly replaced official continues to exercise executive powers.
The lingering face-off has fuelled speculation that George enjoys the backing of influential figures within the Presidency as well as Wike, allowing him to ignore the presidential directive without consequence. Legal experts have faulted George's position, insisting that presidential appointments are made at the pleasure of the President. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Salman Jawondo, said that regardless of the Electoral Act, the President possesses the constitutional authority to appoint and remove heads of federal agencies. "By appointing another person, that is the end of his appointment," the senior lawyer stated. Civil society organisations, including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, have called on the Presidency to immediately clarify the leadership of the BCDA and, if necessary, seek judicial interpretation to prevent further institutional embarrassment.
The saga has drawn fierce condemnation from opposition leaders, with former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar describing the development as another disgraceful episode in a growing catalogue of administrative confusion that has turned governance into a national spectacle. Atiku questioned how a President could publicly appoint a new head of a federal agency, yet weeks later the person said to have been replaced remains in office, continues to exercise authority, and even holds official meetings with ministers. He called on President Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest, arguing that the recurring crises point to a deeper problem of institutional disorder and weak coordination at the highest levels of government. As the power struggle for the control of the BCDA continues to unfold in Abuja, the lingering face-off has heightened concerns over the enforcement of presidential directives and the integrity of appointments within the Tinubu administration, as observers await decisive action to resolve the leadership crisis.
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