MBF slams Buhari’s remark on relocating to Niger Republic, says he’s not committed to Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment on relocating to Niger Republic after handing over on May 29 has drawn condemnation from the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), saying the remark was an indication that he was not committed to Nigeria.

It will be recalled that the president had recently said that he “can’t wait to go home to Daura” and “if they make any noise to disturb me in Daura, I will leave for the Niger Republic.”

The President said this during a Salah homage to the State House by residents of the FCT, led by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.

The MBF, in a statement on Friday by its National President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, described Buhari‘s remark as unfortunate, maintaining that the comment simply showed that the President had never been committed to Nigeria in the first place.

Pogu said: “Yes he has to retire after May 29 because it is a constitutional provision that after his tenure he has to leave office for a new president to come in. But to say that if things become unpleasant he would move to Niger Republic is unfortunate. That is to say that he had never been committed to Nigeria in the first place.

“A Nigerian president, who has served this country, should be here to die with Nigeria and Nigerians if he believed in Nigeria when he was president.

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“So for him to make that statement it may just mean that he didn’t believe in Nigeria in the first place. And it is unfortunate for him to have made that statement.

“We pray that we will have a President who believes in Nigeria, who will die with Nigeria and who will die for Nigeria. Not somebody who if he finds things tough will run away from Nigeria to a safer heaven.

“So it is an unfortunate statement, I don’t know why he made that statement and I don’t know how his thoughts go but a person who believes in his country wouldn’t make such a statement because this is the only country that made him President and he should never back out whether he is serving or not; he should never back out from his country and her problems.”

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