Garba Shehu: Buhari can’t be bullied to ‘settle’ secessionists

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, says President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be bullied into giving money to persons to stop their agitation for secession.

Shehu stated this on Tuesday at an event organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He alleged that the calls for secession have been used in the past to demand money from sitting president, but maintained that Buhari will not succumb to such tactics.

He, however, commended socio-political groups like Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo for their stance against disintegration, adding that Nigerians prefer to be united.

“You can’t intimidate Buhari; you can’t bully him. A lot of these people who are calling for secession are the problem of this country. I am happy that reasonable voices are now rising,” he said.

“Is it not only yesterday we read about Afenifere — the most credible faction of Afenifere — saying ‘we’re not for secession’? Ohanaeze 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 vault 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.”