Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has advised those clamouring for Nigeria secession should wait till 2023 general poll, so that they can contest and take over power.
Shehu, while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme, described the secessionists as “charlatans”, adding that they sponsored to bully the President, believing that he will cower or panic.
He noted that the Buhari’s government will not be kicked out of power by any group through blackmail.
He said that President Buhari was democratically elected, therefore, power-grabbers should wait for two more years to take over power in 2023 through the ballot boxes.
“I want to assure Nigerians that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is addressing multiple challenges that are facing the country especially in dealing with security and yet we are still making progress in agriculture, economy, anti-corruption, which are the key policies that brought the party and the government to office.
“It is sad for the country that opposition is exploiting some of these things. It is quite unfortunate and I want to assure that the president remains focused in preserving the security and unity of this country.
“It is an established fact that all nations of the world face problems and what is expected of all well-meaning members of the society is that they should team up with the government so that together we will all fight criminality and insurgency and all that.
“We accept that dissent is allowed, this is a democracy and people have a right to tell truth to government but we must be careful in doing that. Nobody can bring down the government because this is a government elected democratically.
“Government in a democracy come through periodic elections and if we have a government in office as we have, sponsored by political parties to win the elections, it is telling you that that confidence of the public is still there.
“People with strong ambitions, wait till four years, in fact, in our case, two more years to go to election and President Buhari will not be a candidate in that election,” Shehu expressed.
Spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who also spoke on the programme on Friday, argued that nobody was interested in bringing down the Buhari government.
He refuted the Presidency for labelling critics of the Buhari regime as enemies and accusing them of trying to bring down the government.
Baba-Ahmed said Nigerians want to live in a safe and secure country and the President must protect the lives and properties of the citizens, adding that Buhari must listen to the grievances of secessionists.