The Presidency stated on Monday that the appointment of service chiefs is not subject to ethnic balancing or the federal character principle.
Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesman, insisted during a Channels TV program on Monday that President Muhammadu Buhari, has the authority to appoint those he believes are capable of protecting Nigeria from 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.”
The President, a native of Katsina in North-West Nigeria, has been chastised for favoring northerners in his appointments. During the campaign for the 2023 elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, criticized Buhari for what he called his administration’s lopsided appointment of heads of security agencies, noting that 17 heads of various security agencies hail from the North.
On his principal’s appointment of service chiefs on Monday, Adesina stated that security should not be subjected to politics but to competence.
“Security is something you don’t subject to politics. Security is you bring your best foot forward,” Adesina said.
“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.”
When asked if only the northern region has the best hands to secure the country, he stated that the President has the authority to select those he believes 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, security is not part of it.
“A President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feel will help him secure the country and have the kind of country he desires to have,” Adesina said.
