NIPOST workers protest against Tinubu’s choice of CEO, shut down Abuja office

Workers of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) have staged a protest at the head office of the agency in Abuja, rejecting the appointment of Tola Odeyemi as the new Chief Executive Officer/Post Master General of the service. The protesters, who blocked the entrance to the office on Monday, said they preferred Adeyemi Adepoju, the former Post Master-General, who was reportedly reinstated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after being sacked last week.

The protest followed a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday, announcing that Tinubu had approved some changes in the leadership of communication agencies, including NIPOST. According to the statement, Odeyemi, a former Director of Corporate Communications at NIPOST, was appointed as the CEO of the service with immediate effect.

However, shortly after the announcement, a video circulated online showing Adepoju addressing some NIPOST workers who claimed that Tinubu had reversed his decision and reappointed him as the Post Master-General. Adepoju, who was appointed in 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had been accused of mismanagement and corruption by some stakeholders in the postal sector.

The protesting workers on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction with Odeyemi’s appointment, saying she was not qualified for the position and that she was imposed on them by Tinubu. They also accused her of being involved in some fraudulent activities while she was a director at NIPOST. They chanted solidarity songs and wielded placards with inscriptions such as “We say no to Tola Odeyemi”, “Tinubu leave NIPOST alone”, “Adepoju is our choice” and “NIPOST is not for sale”.