‘It’s Purely On Merit’, Presidency Defends Census C’ttee Composition

The Presidency has dismissed criticism from sections of the media regarding the recently constituted committee on the proposed National Census, describing the backlash as “laughable and ill-informed.”

Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Segun Dada, in a post on his X handle on Friday, defended the composition of the committee set up by President Bola Tinubu to submit a report on the forthcoming population census exercise, stating that every member was chosen based on relevance to the assignment.

According to him, apart from the Principal Secretary to the President—who is representing the President directly—every other member holds a portfolio critical to the planning and execution of a credible census.

He listed the committee members as follows: chairman – Senator Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning; secretary – Mallam Nasir Isa Kwarra, chairman, National Population Commission; members – Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation; Engr Abisoye Odusote, Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Zacch Adedeji, chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Hakim Muri-Okunola, Principal Secretary to the President, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff).

Dada questioned the basis for the public outrage, asking, “Who among these people, whose current offices are crucial to the success of any national census, should be removed?”

He emphasized that the committee’s mandate was a short-term one—just three weeks—and involves preparing a strategy that integrates existing financial, identity, and communication resources to ensure a successful census.

The presidential aide called for public support and urged Nigerians to rise above what he termed “unwarranted premonitions” that have historically hindered national progress.

“We are about to have the best population census of our lifetime,” Dada said, “and no distractions should be encouraged.”