The Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere has condemned the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura who said competence should b
The Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere has condemned the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura who said competence should be placed above zoning arrangement in the 2023 Presidential election.
Reputed to be the head of the kitchen cabinet of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the president’s nephew, Malam Mamman Daura, yesterday spoke on the issue of zoning and rotation of the nation’s presidency, arguing that competence, not geography should determine the next president of Nigeria in 2023.
“This turn-by-turn, it was done once, it was done twice, and it was done thrice… It is better for this country to be one…it should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere,” he told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview.
Dismissing the clamour for power shift, he said it was time for the country to unite and go for the most competent person to lead the nation. According to him, since Nigerians have tried the rotational presidency about thrice already, it would be better to go for the most qualified candidate in 2023 irrespective of whether he comes from the North or the South. This, he said, would be better for the nation’s unity.
However, the Afenifere group rejected Daura’s position saying the country must continue with the common understanding of power rotation between the North and the South. The spokesman of the group, Joe Odumakin, said the South was not unmindful of the fact that the North would want to have a shot again in the presidency after Buhari. According to him, the South envisages many candidates to indicate interest in the presidency in 2023 but the country must stand firm and respect the zoning agreement.
“They (Northern candidates) would come out definitely but it is now left for the country to say whether they want to accept the move or they should insist on the common understanding that power should rotate between north and south. I heard him (Mamman Daura) talking about competence or whatever. In 2023, he would understand if there is anything called competence. We are watching how things unfold,” he said.
Odumakin said he expected the South to forge a common front when the time comes to ensure that the presidency returned to the region in 2023.
Daura, an accomplished journalist and businessman, is widely believed to, along with the late presidential chief of staff, Malam Abba Kyari, have the ears of Buhari and takes the lion share of the blame for perceived missteps of the administration led by his younger uncle.
But in an interview with the foreign broadcast station, he denied teleguiding the president, explaining that while he had access, he was mindful not to take undue advantage of his relationship, pointing out that it would be inappropriate to intervene in the conduct of public affairs without the request of the president.
Daura clarified his relationship with Buhari: “My father was their mother’s firstborn. Buhari is the last born.” He said he grew up with the president and that they had always been close.
Buhari’s wife, Aisha, has been critical of Daura. Aisha in a statement accused Daura of issuing a directive to a presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, not to recognise her office.
