A United Kingdom-based right group, the Forum for Good Governance and Probity (FGGP), says it has observed with surprise the way in which President Mohammadu Buhari has been making appointments to key political positions in his government.

The group in a statement made available to News Express by e-mail earlier today warned that this trend must be stopped and that Buhari must ensure that appointments into the Federal Government political portfolios reflect federal character has stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution.

FGGP said that President Buhari should remember that he was voted into power to correct the perceived abnormalities in the system and effect real changes that an ideal society enjoys in a political atmosphere. Jacob Ogunseye, who is the President of the forum, described the situation where every key position goes to a section of the country as very unpopular and parochial.

He said: “This strategy of President Buhari shows that he hasn’t changed from what people thought he was. This is disheartening.

“As things stand today, President Buhari has concentrated most of his appointments in the northern part of the country, suggesting that he prefers the North than any other part of the country.

“It is pertinent to know that former President Goodluck Jonathan towed similar arrangement, but Nigerian were quick to show him the way out, Nigeria should not be administered based on tribalism.”

FGGP urged President Buhari to consider other parts of the country in his appointments to reflect the presence of other regions in his government. it warned that “any attempt to continue maligning other regions as we have seen in the last one year will only bring about suspicion and plunge the country into unnecessary disarray.”

Said FGGP: “We are worried that President Buhari has ignored advice and warnings from different quarters and well-meaning individuals over his appointment direction. It is clear today that out of scores of appointments made by the President, a section has almost been ignored.

“We hope President Buhari will yield to this clarion call and see himself as the President of Nigeria and not the President of a section or a religion. We thought he should have learned from the recent past, but arguably, the present situation suggests not. We hope it won’t be too late.

“This practice is mental prison. Many things in this period have been hard to bear, or hard to take seriously. What is pathetic is that tribalism is here. Former President Goodluck Jonathan started it and now President Buhari is moulding it. It won’t be too long before Nigerians revolt. Every successive government understands the price of social unrest. Is President Buhari ready for one?”

•Photo shows President Buhari.

Update news