Buhari won’t settle secession agitations — Presidency

The Presidency has described secession agitators as enemies of Nigeria and asked Nigerians to ignore them.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu who spoke on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat during a media interface organised by APC Professional Group, said President Muhammadu Buhari was not ready to settle secession agitators.

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The presidency also ruled out the possibility of the present government organising another national conference to discuss critical issues including that of national unity and resource control.

“The presidency has been talking. And our position is clear that this country is one, is united, by the grace of God, and will continue to be united.

“Look, one thing with this President is that you can’t intimidate Buhari. You can’t bully him. A lot of these people who are calling for secessions are the problem of this country and I’m happy that reasonable voices are now rising.

“Is it not only yesterday (Monday) we were reading Afenifere, the most credible faction of Afenifere saying we’re not for secession. The Ohanaze Ndigbo said this over and over again.

“So this thing about secession is, they had used it in the past. You create secession and break up Nigeria and then you intimidate the sitting leader and then he opens the booth and he brings money to settle people.

“President Buhari will pay no one. He is not going to pay and now it is clear that having ignored all of that, reasonable opinions are coming from those states and from those regions. The governors in the South West, we have all heard them, they have denounced all of these things.

“So it’s a sham. Nigerians want to be one, they want to continue. Yes, there are problems and we are hoping that as people united and loving of one another, we will come together and solve our problems,” the presidency said.

Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe however said the party resolved that there should be no further increase in the pump price of fuel.

“The President is a listening president. Once you bring anything before him, he will take it with commitment. Another thing we have achieved which is recently is the issue in the pump price of petroleum.

“The party said no to it even though they have discussed it. It doesn’t matter the circumstances. The party say the time is not ripe. That is the position of the party. And they listened. We have tabled the matter,” he added.