Atiku criticises Buhari for dominating security agencies with Northerners

Atiku criticises Buhari despite himself playing ethnic politics

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for filling the top positions in the national security apparatus with fellow Northerners.

Atiku, who himself plays the Northern ethnic/religious card to get votes in the region, described the appointment of 17 Northerners as heads security agencies as lopsided at his meeting with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Lagos.

“PDP will form a government of national unity. We will bring members of the opposition who would have lost and then, of course, we will move on from there.

“This is only the way to unify this country and we will now begin to move,” he said, per Vanguard.

“Today, we have 17 heads of various security agencies. All of them come from the North; I will not do that. I will make sure that every geopolitical zone is represented in these security outfits.

“This is also another way you can unify this country and give every part of this country a sense of belonging.

“By the time you double the strength of the Nigeria Police Force, maybe you will be talking about 700,000 or so. You will have reduced unemployment.

“So, we will extend that operation to the armed forces. By the time you finish doing that, you will find that you would have taken more than one million people out of the unemployment market.”

Atiku has also expressed his intention to continue with the economic policies the PDP implemented between 1999 and 2007 to liberalise the economy and empower the private sector to create jobs and wealth in simple, straightforward terms.

“Liberalising the economy is broad. Empowering the private sector is broad, and of course, continues with the privatisation of our public enterprises. In other words, (we will create) a more private sector-driven economy.”

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Atiku says Northerners need him, not Yoruba or Igbo candidate

Despite criticising for his tribalism and nepotism, Atiku himself is playing the same card to get Northern votes to become President in 2023.

He sold the sentiment to members of the Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna on 15 October, which was transmitted live on Arise TV.

“What the average Northerner needs is somebody who is from the North and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.

“This is what the Northerner needs, he doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate, I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of Northern origin,” he said, per Vanguard reporting.