Why Buhari Has Prerogative To Appoint Service Chiefs, Not Subject To Federal Character – Femi Adesina

Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina says the appointment of service chiefs is not subject to ethnic balancing and the principle of federal character.

Adesina stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

He said his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari has the prerogative to appoint those he feels are competent and can do the job of securing Nigeria against terrorist and bandit attacks.

“Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing, don’t subject security to federal character.

“In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogatives that he can appoint on his own.”

Buhari had been criticised for alleged lopsided appointments in favour of northerners.

The president hails from Katsina, North-West Nigeria.

Reports say the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had during campaigns for the 2023 elections criticized the president and described his appointment of heads of security agencies as lopsided.

Atiku noted that 17 heads of various security agencies hail from the North.

The presidential spokesman, while speaking on the appointments of service chiefs by his principal, said security should not be subjected to politics but competence.

Femi Adesina said, “Security is something you don’t subject to politics. Security is you bring your best foot forward.

“Look at the echelon of security agencies still 2015, would you honestly say they have all been from one part of the country? Who was the chief of naval staff in the first term of this administration? Was it not a man from Cross River State? Who was the Inspector General of Police at that time? Was it not a man from Edo State? Solomon Arase.

“Security is something you do based on the best. The best and the brightest because all you want is for your country to be secured. The President usually said unless you have secured the country or even an organisation, you cannot efficiently manage it.

“So, you get the best that can help you secure the country. People who begin to subject the headship of security agencies to where it comes from don’t know what they are talking about.”

Asked whether only the northern region has the best hands to secure the country, he said the president has the prerogative to choose those he feels can secure the country.

“What the constitution requires of him is balancing in terms of each state being represented, in terms of certain positions. Most of those positions are prescribed, but security is not part of it.

“A President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feels will help him secure the country and have the kind of country he desires to have,” Adesina said.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Nigerians on Twitter have reacted to the death of a popular Instagram cloth vendor identified as Adeshina Olayinka popularly known as Khadi.

Khadi was found dead at a popular hotel in the Akobo area of Ibadan, Oyo State a few days ago.