The Federal Government has named a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kayode Oladele, as the acting Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The development comes amid the end of the controversial tenure of the former substantive chairman of the commission, Dr. Muheeba Dankaka, on June 1.

Oladele, a former Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes, supervised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from 2015 to 2019 while also representing Yewa-North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency of Ogun.

He became a member of the board of the FCC in 2024 following his nomination as a commissioner by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

Ahead of the end of Dankaka’s tenure, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. George Akume, had written a formal letter directing her to vacate office on July 1.

The letter dated June 30, was signed by a Director in Akume’s office, Mr. Ikyenge Tyokase Francis, asking the former chairman to leave the office “in line with extant administrative procedures governing the handover process in public service institutions.”

She was directed “to formally conclude all outstanding official matters and hand over the reins of leadership of the Commission to the Commissioner on the ground by close of business on Tuesday 1 July, 2025.”

“This directive is to ensure seamless transition, uninterrupted operations and the continued discharge of the Commission’s constitutional mandate, pending the appointment of a substantive Chairman”, the SGF’s letter further stated.

In light of the development, Oladele was asked to assume office on Wednesday as the acting chairman of the FCC pending the appointment of substantive chairman by President Tinubu.

A human rights activist and lawyer, Oladele’s record in public service describes him as a man of “diligence, intellectual depth, and patriotism.”

Appointed in June 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Dankakas’ tenure had been in and out of one controversy or the other, foreclosing her reappointment for another term.

In the last two weeks, protesting workers of the FCC barricaded the headquarters building in Abuja, urging President Tinubu to remove her and not to renew her appointment.

The workers, through the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors, and Allied Workers (NUPSRAW), raised various allegations against Dankaka, including abuse of office, high-handedness and general neglect of civil service procedures in her actions and decisions in the past five years.

In a letter to the SGF, titled, “A Passionate Appeal To Save-The-Soul Of Federal Character Commission,” they noted, “This woman deliberately made both the staff at the Head Office and State Offices redundant, using only her cronies to carry out assignments that are only beneficial to her,” the workers alleged.

“Her highhandedness has made all the staff to be withdrawn and live in perpetual fear because severally police will just appear at the Commission premises and begin to harass staff without any reason(s) whatsoever and any form of complaint or opposition will either be meted with posting to State Office or threat of sack or dismissal of service. Sir, it will not be an exaggeration if one concludes that the Commission has gone comatose.

“Should you need more clarification and with substantive evidence and proof, we will be more than glad to meet with you to provide such.”

Singing and dancing, some of the inscriptions on their placards read, “Dankaka has disgraced Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda”; “No to sale of certificate of compliance and waiver in FCC.”

The FCC, a creation of Act No. 34 of 1996, and backed by the 1999 Constitution, has the primary duties of ensuring equitable and fair distribution of appointments across the Federation.

In August 2023, an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives probed alleged job racketeering and abuse of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), calling into question the overnight capabilities of the FCC under Dankaka.

At the hearing, a desk officer at the FCC, Haruna Kolo, confessed to collecting money for the chairman to subvert due process.

Testifying before the panel, the officer stated, “On the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC chairman instructed me to liaise with one Mr. Shehu who is a personal driver and PA to Taraba State’s Commissioner.

“As a desk officer, I’m responsible for taking whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing, no one can go there without a letter from the chairman or Human Resource officer of FCC.

“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant-General instructing that no letter from FCC should be honored except she signs the letter. So, whenever there were new employments, she signed, gave it to me and I took it to the Accountant-General’s office for capturing.

“Shehu is the one who brought those who paid money to my account for jobs, some paid N1m; others, N1.5m, all to my personal account, my Ecobank account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through PoS. So, there’s no evidence of transfer or anything.”

Dankaka, however, denied the allegation, swearing by the Quran during the widely publicised probe.

She said, “I’ve not, in my life, asked him to collect money, I don’t know the driver they’re talking about, I’ve never set eyes on the driver.

“Qur’an is here. He is here, I’ve never asked him to give me one naira. What he does for me is when we go to the airport, he buys a ticket for me.

“He does not come to my house to give money. I stay in an estate. Before you enter, I must give a go-ahead for you to enter.”

Meanu, the South-West Zone of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has hailed the appointment of Oladele, describing it as a well-deserved recognition of his commitment to national unity, peacebuilding, and inclusive governance.

In a statement issued by the South-West Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Labar, the association praised Oladele’s leadership as Chairman of the Ogun State Peace Committee on Farmers-Herders Conflicts, highlighting his instrumental role in restoring peace and stability in conflict-prone areas of the state, particularly in Ogun West Senatorial District.

“Hon. Kayode Oladele is highly respected by MACBAN for his sincere, inclusive, and results-oriented approach to peacebuilding. His appointment as Acting Chairman of the Federal Character Commission is not only commendable but timely, as Nigeria requires tested hands with a deep commitment to justice and fairness,” Alhaji Kabir Labar stated.

The association credited Oladele’s mediation efforts for fostering dialogue, resolving longstanding disputes, and promoting mutual understanding between herders and farmers. They noted that his work helped de-escalate tensions and rebuild trust across divided communities.

“We are deeply grateful to Hon. Kayode Oladele for his unwavering commitment to peace and conflict resolution. His intervention brought stakeholders to the table and helped avert further bloodshed and destruction of livelihoods.”

According to MACBAN, the relative calm currently enjoyed in affected areas of Ogun State is a testament to Oladele’s effective strategy—one that emphasized cooperation, fairness, and sustainable coexistence.

It added, “With this track record, we have no doubt that Hon. Oladele will bring the same level of integrity and dedication to his new role at the Federal Character Commission. He is capable of making a significant impact in strengthening national unity, equity, and peaceful coexistence.” (Nigerian Tribune)