Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has accused President Bola Tinubu of showing the Southeast what he terms “renewed shege.”

Abaribe criticized the recent cabinet changes, which included the appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

In the reshuffle, Tinubu dismissed five ministers, appointed seven new ones, and reassigned ten to different portfolios. Among those removed was Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs.

Responding to these moves, Abaribe argued that substituting a Southeast Minister with another felt like no real progress.

Speaking on Arise TV, Abaribe stated, “For my constituents, nothing has shifted. They see it not as ‘Renewed Hope’ but as ‘Renewed Shege (Suffering).’”

He noted that the Southeast, in particular, questions the intent behind the reshuffle, arguing that simply replacing one Southeast minister with another hardly advances the region’s interests.

The senator also accused Tinubu of constitutional violations, emphasizing that the reshuffled cabinet failed to embody the Federal character.

Abaribe continued, “For the past 18 months, the president has disregarded this. We expected these changes to bring some relief to the Southeast.”

He concluded by stressing that the Southeast seeks fairness and equity, as guaranteed by the constitution, and urged that the region be treated with the same consideration as others.