Stop Complaining, Tinubu Only Following Buhari’s Path In Lopsided Appointments, – Northern Forum Tells Elders

The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) says the northerners have no right to complain about the ‘lopsidednes’ in President Bola Tinubu’s appointments, saying that he was only following what former president Muhammadu Buhari left.

Osun Defender reports that some leaders from the region had accused Tinubu of skewed appointments in favour of the South.

But addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the National President of NYLF, Elliot Afiyo, said Tinubu was only widening the gap of alleged lopsided.

Afiyo said during former president Buhari’s administration, the northern part of the state got 80 per cent of the appointment.

The NYLF President however appealed to Tinubu to bridge the widening gap, saying the country must not continue in ‘error.’

He said “Since independence, when you look at the appointment by Tafawa Balewa you will agree with me that it was 40/60 north-south and subsequent appointment by General Yakubu Gowon was trying to narrow the gap, and even in the democratic setting in 1999 under the leadership of President (Olusegun) Obasanjo. That is why I always say he is my father because he has a nationalistic thinking.

“But Buhari came in and created the gap to be 20/80. And even the northerners that they were saying that Buhari appointed were not northerners per se. There were a few cliques, the North itself didn’t benefit from it, but we are now seeing the appointments by President Tinubu are tilting towards the South West. He narrowed the gap that Buhari created, but the gap he is creating now is also widening.

“I would say northerners don’t have the right to complain that the appointments or placements are lopsided. We don’t have the right to complain.

“But as an advanced citizen, I ask: can we continue like this? If we get an Igbo President, he will appoint Igbos. Where are we going as a nation? So, there is a need for us to balance it.”