Arewa Consultative Forum Petitions FCC Over Federal Character Violations

The Security and Employment Committee of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has petitioned the Federal Character Commission (FCC) over alleged violations of the federal character principle in the recruitment, appointment and deployment of personnel by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria.

In a petition dated 16th June, 2026, and addressed to the executive chairman of the FCC, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, the committee alleged that available recruitment and appointment records within WAEC indicated a pattern of disproportionate representation in favour of certain geopolitical zones.

The petition, made available to journalists on Wednesday, was signed by the chairman of the ACF Security and Employment Committee, Comrade Mohammad N. S. Tali, who called on the commission to investigate the matter and ensure compliance with constitutional provisions on equitable representation in federal institutions.

According to the petition, the federal character principle, as provided under Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was established to promote fairness, inclusiveness, and balanced representation of all states and geopolitical zones in public institutions.

The committee claimed that recruitment records between 2020 and 2024 showed significant disparities in the distribution of employment opportunities across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

According to figures contained in the petition, WAEC recruited 726 national staff members during the period under review. The committee alleged that the South-West geopolitical zone accounted for 273 of the recruitments, while the combined figure for the North-West, North-East and North-Central stood at 195.

The petition further alleged that the South-West and South-South geopolitical zones together accounted for more than 60 per cent of all national staff recruited within the period.

The committee also argued that although the North-Central recorded a relatively higher number of recruitments than the North-East and North-West, much of the figure came from Kogi and Kwara states, which it said share socio-cultural affinities with the South-West.

According to statistics presented by the committee, 98 personnel were recruited into the cadre between 2016 and 2025. The South-West accounted for 45 of the appointments, while the South-South and South-East recorded 23 and 18, respectively.

By contrast, the North-Central accounted for eight appointments, while the North-East and North-West recorded two appointments each during the same period.

The committee specifically cited the 2023 recruitment exercise, alleging that all 16 appointments to the Registrar Cadre went to candidates from southern states: 11 from the South-West, three from the South-East, and two from the South-South.

It further claimed that no candidate from any of the three northern geopolitical zones was recruited into the cadre during that year.

Beyond recruitment, the committee alleged that leadership appointments within WAEC Nigeria had also reflected a similar pattern.

According to the petition, officials from the South-West occupied the position of Head of National Office for approximately 32 years out of the 56 years reviewed by the committee.

The petition further claimed that, between 1987 and 2006, spanning 19 consecutive years, the leadership of WAEC Nigeria remained in the South-West, with five successive office holders.

It also alleged that the three northern geopolitical zones were represented in the organisation’s leadership only once during the 56 years under review.

The committee argued that such a pattern had contributed to perceptions of marginalisation among stakeholders from underrepresented regions.

The committee urged the Federal Character Commission to conduct a comprehensive audit of recruitment, appointments, promotions and deployments across all levels of WAEC.

Among other recommendations, it called for the publication of statistics demonstrating compliance with the Federal Character Principle, equitable representation of all geopolitical zones and states in future recruitment exercises, a review of deployment policies and the establishment of a transparent monitoring mechanism to ensure continuous compliance.

The petition stated that its objective was to strengthen institutional accountability and national integration rather than create division among Nigerians.

“Our objective is not to create division among Nigerians but to strengthen WAEC’s reputation as a national institution that upholds the principles of equity, justice and national integration,” the petition stated.

Copies of the petition were forwarded to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), the Registrar of WAEC Headquarters in Accra, Ghana, the Head of the National Office of WAEC, Nigeria and members of the council’s Administration and Finance Committee.

At the time of filing this report, WAEC had not issued an official response to the allegations in the petition. I wanted to let you know that efforts to obtain the council’s reaction were ongoing.