Ezi Umuada Igbo petitions the House of Reps, alleging Sophia Mbakwe’s NNPCL appointment violates the federal character principle

Sophia Mbakwe Federal Character Petition has stirred fresh debate over equity and regional balance in federal appointments, following a petition to the House of Representatives from an Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ezi Umuada Igbo.

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The group, through a petition presented on Thursday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Ugochinyere, called for the removal of Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President (Business Services) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over an alleged violation of the federal character principle.

The petition alleged that Mbakwe occupies a position designated for the South-East geopolitical zone but is not an indigene of the region.

It urged the National Assembly to investigate her appointment in line with Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires equitable representation of all regions in federal appointments.

In the petition titled “Appointment of Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe as South-East Representative in NNPCL Management Team,” the group thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing a woman to such a strategic role but expressed concern that the selection undermines fairness and regional representation.

“While we deeply appreciate His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for finding an Igbo woman worthy of appointment into such a sensitive and strategic national office, we are, however, compelled to express our reservation that Mrs. Mbakwe is not from the South-East region and therefore cannot legitimately serve as the region’s representative in compliance with the federal character principle,” the petition stated.

Ezi Umuada Igbo described the appointment as a “blatant breach of constitutional provisions guaranteeing balanced representation” and appealed for a review to ensure the position is filled by a qualified woman of South-East origin.

“The South-East has an abundance of competent, qualified, and patriotic women who can effectively occupy the position and represent the region’s interests in the NNPCL management team,” the group added.

The House referred the petition to the Committee on Public Petitions for further legislative consideration.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny over federal appointments and compliance with the federal character principle, which aims to promote national integration and equitable distribution of public offices among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

In recent years, several civil society groups have criticised perceived lopsidedness in key appointments within the oil and gas sector and other federal agencies.

The NNPCL, now operating as a limited liability company under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, maintains a management structure reflecting Nigeria’s six zones to ensure inclusivity and balance.