Nigerians fault president's choice of appointees

Concerns were raised from platforms such as Nairaland, Nigeria’s largest discussion forum, Facebook and Twitter.

Also lending their voices to the concerns raised were prominent groups in the South-West that include Afenifere, Yoruba Unity Forum, YUF and the Movement for Oodua Republic, MOR.

Describing the President’s actions as worrisome, the YUF Secretary-General, Senator Anthony Adefuye, warned that the earlier the situation was reversed, the better, adding that the YUF would not expect the North to marginalise the South.

He said, “The fact that the President, Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are from the North is worrisome. There is no way the North can take all the principal offices and leave the deputy to us. It has never happened before and the earlier it is reverted, the better.'

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the group was watching the President’s actions and taking note of them.

Odumakin, who spoke to The Punch said, 'We have taken a position in Afenifere to watch the President’s actions before we begin to make comments. By the time we have a clearer picture of what is happening in the first 100 days of the President in office, we are certainly going to make a comprehensive statement.'

On his part, the leader of MOR, George Akinola, said 'The country has already been divided along religious lines. The fault lines are there and will always be there. This will continue until a time when one way or the other a conference or a referendum happens. There is no option that is not on the table but at least we will prefer the path of peace.'

Also raising concern is the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey, who asked the President to respect the principle of federal character in his appointments.

'We expect the President to recognise other nationalities that make up Nigeria. Elections are over, it is time for governance. We expect that the principle of federal character, which is constitutional, should be respected. It is important that in making his appointments, the President should recognise that there are six geo-political zones in the country and it is imperative that he carries all of them along in the spirit of nation building and as a statesman,'Enwo-Igariwey said.

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President Buhari is from Katsina State, Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, are from Kwara and Bauchi states respectively. The judiciary is led by Justice Mahmud Mohammed from Taraba State.

Of the nine appointments made by Buhari so far, eight are from the North, while one is from the South. The appointments are: Director-General of the State Services, Lawal Daura, Katsina State; Acting Chairman, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Amina Bala Zakari, Jigawa State; Director, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mordecai Danteni Baba Ladan; and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Kano State.

Others are the State Chief of Protocol, Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure; Aide De Camp, Lt.-Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar, Kano State; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu; and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, South-West.