“Why I appointed more Northerners” – President Buhari Opens Up

After lots of public criticisms by some Nigerians who described President Muhammadu Buhari's political appointments as lopsided, the number one citizen of the country has finally decided to break his silence over the issue.

While responding to questions from a BBC Hausa interviewer on Tuesday, president Buhari said:

“This is the nature of Nigerian politics”.

“If they will do justice to me, as an elected Nigerian president, let them look at the Constitution a Nigerian president works with, there are people who will closely work with me that don’t need to be taken to the Senate.

“If I select people whom I know quite well in my political party, whom we came all the way right from the APP, CPC and APC, and have remained together in good or bad situation, the people I have
confidence in and I can trust them with any post, will that amount to anything wrong?

“I have been with them throughout our trying times, what then is the reward of such dedication and suffering?

“They did not defect because of positions, they did not involve themselves in the pursuit of personal gains, and they accepted their fate throughout our trying moments.

“What is wrong if I make you the secretary (of the federal government) because I have confidence that things will go normal?”

On the abducted Chibok girls missing since April 2014, Buhari said:

“Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. And the sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained.

“Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them.”