The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, said on Wednesday that President Muhammadu Buhari was failing in his duties as father of the nation.
The group expressed this view while noting that the president’s utterances were capable of compounding the already tensed situation in the country.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the statement by the president that he gave two ministerial slots to Kano and Kaduna because of the huge votes they gave him in the 2019 presidential election was unfortunate.
Speaking on the ongoing protest by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Japan where President Buhari is attending the 7th Tokyo International Conference, Odumakin said it was time President Buhari summoned a meeting of all ethnic nationalities in the country where their grievances could be addressed.
“It is not only the grievances of IPOB that President Muhammadu Buhari should address, but he should also address the grievances in the land across the board.
“I don’t know how it does not occur to the president that at this stage, we should be summoning Nigerians to dialogue over the state of the nation, how to bring down tension, how to build an inclusive country.
“How can the president go to Kaduna and say ‘I gave you two ministerial slots because you gave me the highest votes?
“Is that what he should be saying this season? Is that the kind of song the president should be singing?
“As the father of the nation, you should be looking at ways to lower tensions and bring people together as the father of all, build an inclusive country, and begin to address the grievances of all sections of the country and not to continue to pour petrol on burning refuse.
“What was the reason for allowing Sheikh El-Zakzaky to return to the country? And look at their sickening argument that he wanted to stay in a five-star hotel. Even if he wants a 10-star hotel, why not allow it for the sake of peace?
“They should know the anti-corruption mood is not the mood in which you govern a country. We need a leader who gives all Nigerians a sense of belonging.
“Until the president begins to do that, Nigeria will continue to stumble from one crisis to another,” Afenifere said.
