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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
Vice Chairman of Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has replied the Buhari administration over insistence that the President cannot be forced to yield to the demands of agitators across the country.
Rev. Hayab who is also the Kaduna State CAN chairman, said President Muhammadu Buhari should be worried by the current pathetic state of the country which he said is responsible for the agitations, instead of trying to talk tough his way out of reality.
He said everyone wants a united Nigeria, but not a country without hope or future.
“It is not cheering news that many groups in Nigeria now are clamouring for secession," Hayab said, according to the LEADERSHIP.
"Everyone will desire to see Nigeria growing as a united, big, strong and dependable nation but the current realities have further given room for more people and interests to seek secession from what they see as a nation without hope or future," he added.
“As our president, you cannot expect him not to talk tough. History will not be kind on him if this nation breaks up during his reign as president.
“The challenge now is whether all that is happening now across every state and region is just to intimidate or bully the president.”
"Time will tell, but the truth is that things are not going well everywhere in Nigeria and our president should come up with measures to convince Nigerians that he means well and he is truly in charge,” he concluded.
The Presidency had said no amount of pressure or intimidation will force Buhari into yielding to the demands of agitators.
This was disclosed by the Senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, at the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a media interface organised by the APC Professional Group.
He said: “The presidency has been talking and our position is clear: that this country is one, is united and, by the grace of God, will continue to be united.
“Look, one thing with this president is that you can’t intimidate Buhari; you can’t bully him. A lot of these people who are calling for secessions are the problem of this country.
"This thing about secession is, they had used it in the past – you create secession talk to break up Nigeria and then you intimidate the sitting leader and then he opens the booth and he brings money to settle people.
“President Buhari will pay no one. He is not going to pay and now it is clear that having ignored all of that, reasonable opinions are coming from those states and from those regions. The governors in the South-west, we have all heard them; they have denounced all of these things.”
“So it’s a sham, Nigerians want to be one, they want to continue. Yes, there are problems and we are hoping that, as people united and loving of one another, we will come together and solve our problems,” he said.
He said the President will not convene another national conference to discuss the unity of Nigeria, saying, “What can national conference do more than a parliament?"
“We have an elected parliament, whose mandate is to be the custodian of the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.
“Look, a lot of these people crying for this secession, they are unelectable. If you think you are electable, go and contest for a parliamentary seat whether House of Representatives or Senate and come and table an amendment to the constitution.
“The (constitution review) process is ongoing as we speak now under the deputy Senate president. They are calling for memoranda, why can’t you present what you want?" he questioned.