Oscar Chukwugekwu, Abuja
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, has criticised the pattern of President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments, which has shown a willingness to orphan the South for not voting for him during the March 28 Presidential election, describing it as one that promotes exclusivity.
According to Abaribe, Buhari’s appointments so far have not only surreptitiously thrown up the prevailing circumstance, but have equally failed to encourage Nigerians’ hunger and quest to build a nation state out of a heterogeneous Nigeria.
In an emailed statement on Friday in Abuja, Abaribe, however, urged Buhari to see himself as the President of Nigeria, which is the hallmark of a statesman, rather than being the President of a section of the country.
“No one should be surprised over what is happening or the shape of the political appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari. To be fair to him, the President made himself clear in his recent state visit to the United States of America, with his now unfortunate theory of 95 percent and 5 percent reward for support.
“Again, it could be the style of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). That is to say, that the Party has chosen, as a style, to run a government that encourages alienation of a sizable portion of its people, as well as one that promotes exclusivity.
“Every political party has its style, like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that adopted its own style of running an inclusive national government, which reflected the true character and national outlook of the Nigerian people. PDP’s style was (inclusive), not minding the voting pattern of any section of the country, or where its support base was derived.
“For any party, there should not be any political barrier or alienation of any constituent part because, after elections, the President is the President and father of all Nigerians, irrespective of political leaning.
“My hunch is that the appointments so far, which have surreptitiously thrown up the prevailing circumstance, have failed to encourage our people’s hunger and quest to build a nation state out of a heterogeneous Nigeria. The appointments, as they were, do not also support the efforts to weave a more cohesive country that would metamorphose into a nation where unity and love will prevail.
“The founding fathers of our nation had this in mind when the notion of ‘federal character’ was inscribed in the Constitution and a commission created for that purpose. That a President of elder statesman status would willfully breach this fibre that holds this country together is highly regrettable.
“Well, my take is that: ‘it is a Buhari country’. It is the reality. So, he can play around with his choice as his mind and conscience direct him. After all, he did not win election in the South-East and South-South, and yet he became President.
“Therefore, the South should be orphaned for not voting for him. Perhaps that is the stark reality that the people of the South in Nigeria should face. There is an idiom in Igbo language that (says): ’20 years or more is not eternity’.
“The Buhari government will also come to an end one day. Nonetheless, it could have been good and politically expedient, if President Buhari sees himself as President of Nigeria, which is the hallmark of a statesman and not that of President of a section of the country,” Abaribe said in the statement entitled: ‘President Buhari and His Appointments: It Is a Buhari’s Country’.
