President Muhammadu Buhari has come out for the first time to defend his choice of political appointees since coming to office on May 29, saying he chose those he could trust.
In an interview with the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) on Tuesday, Buhari said his appointments were neither ethnic-based nor unconstitutional.
According to him, it would be unjust for him to neglect those who stood by him in trying times just because he does not want to be accused of tribalism.
Speaking about those he has appointed so far, Buhari stated, ““They did not defect because of positions, they did not involve themselves in the pursuit of personal gains, and they accepted their fate throughout our trying moments.”
It is a widely-held belief among many Nigerians that Buhari became president because of his anti-corruption stance, a mantra they claim is needed to bring the country out of the woods.
Buhari also spoke on his government’s plans to free the over 200 girls abducted from Chibok, saying that they were not sure if the girls were still being held in a single place or had been married off to the leaders of the insurgents.